Villaperuccio: The town square gathers to stop thieves inside the church.

A protest took place Wednesday night in Villaperuccio following the incursion of thieves who targeted the village church. As soon as word of the parish priest's alarm spread, dozens of people took to the streets, some with clubs in hand, determined to guard the church and track down those who are robbing the village families, especially the elderly, of peace.

Exasperated

Tensions have been high in the Lower Sulcis region for weeks, and yesterday, before the church raid, thieves had already been active. They had stolen a van in Sant'Antioco to search for small "laccus" (drinking troughs carved into the rock). They attempted a burglary at the Serpi family's home in Perdaxius, but were unable to steal a very heavy "laccu." However, they did succeed in stealing a large container from a courtyard in Villaperuccio, right in the center of town. They also reportedly stole several liters of diesel fuel. The alarm was raised in the parish of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary late in the evening. Father Diego Cerniglia, in recent days, had already reported the theft of thousands of euros collected by the faithful for parish works.

Perhaps someone was hoping to find more money or steal votive offerings, as happened a few days ago in the parish of Terresoli (Santadi). The priest had gone to the home of some friends and, upon his return, around 9 p.m., found the gate and a door to the courtyard open. He realized that the thieves were still inside the church and immediately raised the alarm. Two Carabinieri patrols arrived on the scene, but the unusual movement alerted the villagers: within a very short time, dozens of people arrived to guard the church, many brandishing truncheons and clubs, determined to track down the thieves and use "strong arguments" to convince them not to return to town. But the thieves found a way to escape and disappear.

Meager loot

"This time they didn't find anything to take," says Father Diego Cerniglia. "They even tried to move the parish safe, but given its size and weight, they couldn't. Unfortunately, they damaged objects and some fixtures." The worst sacrilege was dismantling the vestments of the statue of the Madonna, likely in search of gold objects, which, moreover, have not been kept in the church for several years, precisely for security reasons. "It was a very serious incident, even without any stolen goods," says Mayor Marcellino Piras. "I immediately went to the parish and sadly witnessed the damage that had been done. The situation is becoming unbearable. Yesterday I received many calls from residents expressing their fears and asking me to find a solution that could restore the town to its usual peaceful life." The local doctor, Daniela Crisioni, confirms the tension: "I experience and touch firsthand the terror that is afflicting my patients, especially the elderly," she says, "but I myself and the many other people I know have lost our peace of mind." Andrea Collu, president of the local sports club that was robbed about two weeks ago, points the finger at "thieves who no longer have any qualms about even entering a sacred place, and more than once at that. We really can't take it anymore." Already yesterday, many people, especially artisans and entrepreneurs, offered their help to fix up the church and put up security barriers at all the parish entrances.

The controls

Law enforcement continues its investigation to identify the criminals, but residents have decided to continue the mobilization that began on Wednesday: a group of people is organizing to carry out night patrols to ensure the thieves don't think they can continue to operate undisturbed.

Maria Grazia Peis