ERBACH, Germany (LifeSiteNews) — A youth gang has attacked a live nativity scene at a Christmas market in Germany, punching the donkeys in the face and later urinating in a Protestant church.
A group of yet unknown perpetrators attacked two donkeys in a live Nativity display at the Christmas market in Erbach, Germany, on the night of November 30.
According to the local news outlet Offenbach Post, the incident occurred at around 4 a.m., as confirmed by a city spokesperson. The group allegedly hit the two donkeys, which are very trusting and approach the fence when people are present, in the face.
A resident witnessed the abuse, shouted at the perpetrators from his balcony, and drove them away. The city of Erbach has reported the incident to the police, which has launched an investigation.
The unknown perpetrators are also suspected of having vandalized the Erbach Castle Christmas market earlier. According to a city spokesperson, decorations were vandalized, and items were stolen from the market.
Other acts of vandalism were committed in the city in the days prior, possibly committed by the same group. According to a video report by WELT, local citizens have described the suspects as a group of about 10 boys and young men, ranging in age from 12 to 17. Eyewitnesses said they would cut through fairy lights, destroy toilets, tear out sinks, and even urinate in the nearby Protestant church.
Peter Traub, mayor of Erbach, said that “there’s the difficult question of whether they are even old enough to be held criminally responsible, and they know full well that nothing will happen. Even when I speak to them personally, they just grin at me.”
Commentators online have speculated that this youth gang could be made up of Middle Eastern migrants, as many attacks carried out by migrants have occurred in recent years in Germany.
In December 2023, two teenagers, one of them an Afghan migrant, were arrested because they plotted to ram a vehicle loaded with explosives into a Christmas market. Last year in December, a Saudi-born doctor drove his SUV into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing six and injuring many hundreds. Moreover, videos online from 2024 and 2025 have shown large groups of mostly Middle Eastern men parading through Christmas markets with Syrian or Palestinian flags, intimidating visitors. Germany has taken in over 1 million migrants and refugees since 2015, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
After the Magdeburg terror attack, German Christmas markets increased their security significantly, resulting in surging costs. According to Euro News, Magdeburg spent at least €250,000 ($292,958) on new security systems before reopening its Christmas market again this year, following the 2024 massacre.