Dozens of votive offerings , including gold rings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants, were removed by three perpetrators who broke into the historic Taxiarches Monastery in Serifos , in an operation that was completed in approximately 90 seconds .
The three, with their faces covered , gloves and burglary tools, crossed the outer walls of the monastery using a wooden ladder and headed immediately towards the Holy Temple, without wasting time searching.
After breaking through the door, they initially attempted to break the protective glass of the icon of the Archangel Gabriel . When they realized that it was bulletproof glass, they changed tactics: they broke the lock and removed the devotees’ offerings. They then left through the main wooden door of the Monastery.
The way they moved has come under the microscope of the authorities. According to estimates, the perpetrators knew well where they had to go, which strengthens the possibility that they had visited the Monastery in the past in order to spy on the area .
At the time of the break-in, the Abbot, Fr. Evdokimos , and Fr. Gabriel were present in the Monastery, who did not notice the presence of the three men. The incident became known in the morning, when the Police were informed, while the morning service was not held .
A crucial element in solving the case is the footage from the Monastery’s four security cameras , which recorded the perpetrators’ entire movement in the area. The police are examining it frame by frame , looking for evidence that could lead to the identification of the sacrilegious burglars, their location and the recovery of the votive offerings.
