Munich, 07 October, 2023 / 5:24 pm (ACI Africa).
Several months after the theft of a pectoral cross bequeathed by the late Pope Benedict XVI to a parish in his native Bavaria, police have apprehended the suspect in the Czech Republic.
The cross — which is still missing — was stolen on June 19 from a display case on the wall of St. Oswald’s Church in the city of Traunstein.
According to the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, the 53-year-old suspect, whom police claimed is a serial thief with a history of property crimes across several European countries, left traces at the crime scene that led to his identification via an international data match.
His criminal career in Germany traces back to 1990, police said.
German media reported that the public prosecutor’s office, considering the suspect’s substantial prior convictions, anticipates a prison sentence of several years if he is convicted.
