The security forces of Taiwan have arrested this Monday a Spanish citizen accused of causing serious damage to the doors of a historic temple in the capital, Taipei, after rubbing them at dawn with cleaning products because, according to his own version, they were in disrepair.
The Police received at 2:00 a.m. the notice about a possible act of vandalism in the Shilin Cixian temple, founded in 1796 and dedicated to the goddess Mazu. Upon arrival, they found a man scrubbing the wooden doors with chemicals, including thinner, which had already started to damage the paint.
The 53-year-old suspect alleged to the police that after drinking at home, he had gone out into the street and considered that the doors were in poor condition, so he chose to return with cleaning products, according to the news agency. Taiwanese CNA officer.
The detainee, whose identity has not been revealed, would have participated in the restoration of other monuments in Taiwan, but the head of the Wenlin police station, Wang Sheng Chieh, has indicated that his action must have "legal consequences", to the extent that caused damage to a cultural property "without reason".
In fact, Taiwanese legislation contemplates penalties of between six months and five years in prison and fines of up to 20 million Taiwanese dollars (about 573,000 euros).
