British suspect in Vilnius Jesus statue damage cannot leave Lithuania

A British man suspected of smashing a statue of Jesus in Vilnius cannot leave Lithuania after police seized his identity document, LRT reported on Sunday, citing LNK news.

The suspect is a UK citizen born in 1989 who was temporarily in Lithuania, police spokesperson Tomas Bražėnas said. He is cooperating with law enforcement, providing explanations and is not seeking to hide, Bražėnas said.

The man is suspected of damaging the statue on Thursday night at the courtyard of the Divine Mercy Shrine, a church on Dominikonų Street. Investigators say he pulled the statue from a wooden cross hanging on a wall in the courtyard, carried it into the street and smashed it.

A pre-trial investigation is under way under the direction of the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office of the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office.