The cleaner stole 240 valuable books from the rectory in Křtiny

Blansko - The police have charged a 36-year-old woman who was cleaning at the rectory in Křtiny in the Blansko region with stealing 240 historical books with religious themes from the local library, worth nearly three million crowns. She now faces eight years in prison. She sold the volumes through an acquaintance and used the money to buy her husband, a lover of military history, a functioning Soviet submachine gun PPŠ-1941 "Shpagin," Zdeněk Grénar, head of the Blansko police station, told reporters today.
    The cleaner was originally suspected of stealing 30 books. Their disappearance was noticed in Křtiny, a well-known pilgrimage site in Moravia, a year ago. However, the investigation revealed that many more volumes had gone missing from the extensive library. Some of the printed works are up to 500 years old.
    The woman lives near the rectory, from which she had keys since she went there to clean. Among the stolen books was, for example, the Kutná Hora Bible from 1489. The police have gradually managed to trace most of the volumes. The books will be returned to Křtiny.
    Along with the woman, the police are also prosecuting a 34-year-old man. He faces up to six years in prison for complicity. He bought the books from the cleaner, resold them, and did everything to prevent the police from tracing them.
    The rectory is part of the Church of the Name of the Virgin Mary in Křtiny. According to legend, it stands at the site where the first believers were baptized by the apostles Cyril and Methodius. It is a significant spiritual place and a popular tourist destination.