Prague, Sept 18 (CTK) – A court expelled a foreigner from the Czech Republic for three years for having written an inscription with a marker over St Francis statue on the 14th-century Charles Bridge, the oldest stone bridge in Prague, Prague 1 State Attorney’s Office head Jan Lelek told CTK on Monday.
Moreover, the Prague 1 District Court imposed a six-month suspended sentence on the foreigner and ordered him to cover the damage of 15,000 crowns.
The verdict has taken effect. Both the defendant and the state attorney’s office gave up the right to appeal it.
The 48-year-old foreigner damaged the statue of the saint in early September, writing a 30-cm sign inscription on it with a green marker.
Another two foreigners who witnessed the vandalism reported it to the patrolling police.
As the perpetrator was caught immediately after the act, the police and state attorney’s office dealt with the case in a shortened trial. The Prague 1 District Court issued the verdict in the form of a criminal order.
The man originally faced up to three years in prison if convicted.
The police dealt with several cases of foreigners causing damage to Prague heritage sights in the past few years.
In 2014, the National Theatre’s building in the centre became the target of three foreigners. First, two French tourists sprayed some diagrams on its wall and later a Japanese tourist sprayed something on a wall in an underpass that is part of the National Theatre.
