The statue of Christofer could return to the embankment of D35 in the summer; it will be better secured

Olomouc – The nearly four-meter statue of Saint Christopher, which had to be removed from the embankment near the D35 highway close to Olomouc following a theft attempt, could return to its place after repairs next summer. The statue is also expected to be better secured, including lighting, higher-quality cameras, and sensors, said Miroslav Mazal from the Olomouc office of the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD). The statue, which is the work of academic sculptor Marius Kotrba, was partially cut away by thieves at the end of October. In the process, they damaged the statue and compromised its stability, necessitating its removal from the site.

The ŘSD announced the repair and return of the statue immediately after the incident, and negotiations on the method of repair are already underway with experts, according to Mazal. "We are simultaneously still working on the valuation of the work along with the production of a mold for creating new parts of the statue. Among other things, we are also focusing on new security measures; we would like to illuminate the statue and use higher-quality cameras, and additional security features such as sensors are also being considered," Mazal stated.

Unknown perpetrators attempted to steal the statue by cutting off one of Christopher's legs; they did not manage to finish cutting the second limb. The removed panels from the legs were eventually found by police in the vicinity of the crime scene. "Once we have some assessments including valuation, we will request approval for the contract to repair Christopher and install new telematics. The theoretical plan is to reinstall Christopher sometime in the summer, around the end of July. The best date would be the feast day of Saint Christopher or possibly in September for the civil holiday of Christopher," Mazal added.

The perpetrators attempted to cut and steal the bronze statue of the walking Christopher with a child on his shoulder, which was standing on the embankment by the Olomouc bypass, located at the 270th kilometer of the D35 highway, during the night of October 30. However, their actions were noticed by a hunter who called the police. During the intervention, the perpetrators also damaged the beam securing the statue in its concrete base, causing it to shift several centimeters towards the highway. Due to compromised stability, the statue had to be later removed from the site. The damage has been estimated at a quarter of a million Czech crowns.

The police are investigating the case on suspicion of damaging someone else's property, which could result in up to a year in prison for the perpetrators. The police previously reached out to the public for assistance, specifically regarding a white van that was parked on the highway with its hazard lights on at the critical moment. "The police are continuing to deal with the case and are verifying all available information. No specific person has been informed of the suspicion, and the information provided by the public has not yet brought any significant changes to the case," said Olomouc police spokeswoman Pera Vaňharová to ČTK.