Man arrested after smashing up a Malaga church while shouting 'God does not exist'

A man who disrupted a mass and vandalised a Malaga church while yelling "God does not exist" has been arrested in the Pedregalejo neighbourhood of the city.

Parishioners had just started to celebrate the 9.30am mass on Monday 4 September inside the church of Corpus Christi, on Calle Ventura de la Vega, when the man started to become agitated. He started to smash up the inside of the parish church while screaming "God does not exist", shouting derogatory phrases against the church and issuing death threats.

When Local Police officers arrived at the scene, they found the man in the street and tried to arrest him. But he managed to avoid them and crossed onto the Avenida Juan Sebastián Elcano. The 45-year-old man was eventually arrested a short time later and taken into custody.

One parishioner told police the man had thrown a crucifix and a painting of the Virgin on the floor, and smashed furniture including several chairs, a candelabra and some glass. When the eyewitness called out to try and stop him, the man allegedly threatened to kill him, saying, "I'm going to cut your throat".

Parish priest José López Solorzano estimated the value of the damage would exceed 3,000 euros. "Although for us what happened is more painful than the monetary value," he added.