Malaga police investigate theft of jewels from parish church's religious image

The National Police have opened an investigation to identify and locate the perpetrators of a jewellery theft that occurred at the Nuestra Señora de las Angustias parish church in Malaga on Monday.

The incident took place at around 11.45am, although the spiritual community did not discover the theft until half an hour later. The suspects stole part of the vestments belonging to the image of the Virgen del Rosario, patron saint of the El Palo district, and the Divino Infante.

The church's security cameras captured the incident. The footage shows two individuals with their faces uncovered. After entering the church, they went directly to the Virgin Mary statue.

Taking advantage of a moment when fewer worshippers were present, one of the perpetrators lifted the other in his arms six or seven times to reach the statue and steal the pieces.

It was a devout woman who, upon approaching the statue, noticed something was amiss. The Divino Infante seemed out of place, on the verge of falling to the ground due to the tugging it had endured.

The woman immediately alerted the sacristan, after which they discovered that a medal of Saint Anthony, a medal of Victoria with the chain, three rings and a brooch were missing.

The religious brotherhood have stated that the stolen pieces possess incalculable sentimental value, as they were donations El Palo residents and devotees had made after fulfillment of promises or personal requests.

The National Police have taken charge of the investigation. The brotherhood have provided both a detailed list of the jewels and security camera footage.

This latest theft has reignited discontent within the brotherhood regarding the current location of the Virgen del Rosario. According to sources, the image is in a corner of the parish church, approximately 1.5 metres high and very close to the entrance, which facilitates this type of vandalism.

The brotherhood have historically advocated for the patron saint of El Palo to be returned to her place on the main altar, where she remained for much of the parish's history until the 80s. They have already brought this to the attention of the church's spiritual director.