A man in his twenties was arrested by the Northeast Iceland Police yesterday, suspected of having spray-painted the walls of four churches in Akureyri earlier this week, RÚV reports. When questioned, he confessed to the vandalism in which he acted alone. He was charged with property damage and subsequently released.
According to RÚV, the suspect used a skateboard to travel between the four churches early Wednesday morning. At the time, the streets were clear of snow. He was arrested in an Akureyri home late yesterday afternoon.
The profanities sprayed on the walls of the church buildings were written in English, and most of them expressed animosity toward religion and philosophy. According to police, the suspect has no previous criminal record.
Cleaning of three of the churches went well, but it remains to be seen whether the outer layer of Akureyri Church will have to be replaced. Besides, it’s unclear whether insurance will cover the cleaning cost.
