Golden Jesus Statue Stolen and Smashed by Suspected Drunk British Tourists – Shocking CCTV

14th November 2026

Updated 14 Nov 2026, 15:54 · First published 14 Nov 2026

Shocking CCTV shows the moment a golden statue of Jesus, ripped from a church cross in Vilnius, is paraded through the street by a man suspected to be one of two drunk British tourists – before it smashes on the ground. Lithuanian police have launched an investigation and are hunting the pair.

Shocking CCTV shows the golden statue of Jesus being paraded through the street in Vilnius before it smashes. Footage: Facebook / Elijas Anatolijus Markauskas

Golden Jesus statue smashed

Where

Divine Mercy Sanctuary, Dominikonų Street, Vilnius Old Town

When

Wednesday 11 November, at around 9pm

Suspects

Two men suspected to be drunk British tourists

Police

Pre-trial investigation opened; suspects not yet identified

Penalty

Up to three years in prison, according to Lithuanian media

What happened?

The statue was taken from a wooden cross in the inner courtyard of the Divine Mercy Sanctuary, one of the best-known churches in Vilnius. Footage shows a man posing with the golden figure in the street while a second man films him. The statue then breaks apart on the pavement and the pair run off.

The men were heard speaking English, and they have been widely described as drunk British tourists. Lithuanian police have not yet confirmed who they are or where they are from.

Vilnius police said “an unidentified person broke a golden sculpture of Jesus hanging on a wooden cross” and that a pre-trial investigation had been opened. Officers are going through city CCTV and have asked anyone who recognises the men to get in touch.

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“I want to meet him”

The church’s vice-rector, Fr Elijas Anatolijus Markauskas, shared the footage online and asked people to help identify the men. But he told Lithuanian media he does not want to see the man punished – he wants to meet him, shake his hand and ask him why he did it.

He said he had watched around four hours of camera footage and did not believe it was a religious attack. In his view, the man was drunk and angry and broke the statue without meaning to.

Beware of fake images

Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT has warned that doctored pictures of the suspect are being shared online, falsely making it look as though the attacker was a dark-skinned man. Police have not identified any suspect.

Photo: Ardfern / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).