German women arrested for vandalizing synagogue

Cottbus Schlosskirche WIKI COMMONS PHOTO
Cottbus Schlosskirche WIKI COMMONS PHOTO

Two women, aged 21 and 36, were arrested early Wednesday morning after they reportedly vandalized a synagogue in the east German city of Cottbus, reports the Associated Press.

The synagogue is the only house of Jewish worship in the Brandenburg state.

According to German police, the women smashed several windows, and were spotted by security guards in the area the previous morning.

Police spokesperson Torsten Wendt said that both women had high levels of alcohol in their system at the time.

Police have yet to determine whether the motive behind the crime was anti-Semitism, and are waiting to interview the suspects.

As reported by JTA, the synagogue was formerly a church, and converted into a synagogue in 2014, marking the first in the state since 1938.