Rio's Christ Statue Vandalised

For the first time since the 1931 inauguration of the famous Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it has been vandalised.

Although mudslides from the heavy rains have damaged roads around the site, preventing tourists from reaching the statue, nothing stopped graffiti vandals from getting there and scrawling all over the head and face of the landmark statue. The vandals climbed the scaffolding surrounding the monument, which was there for maintenance work. One of the phrases defacing the statue in black spray paint was, "When the cat's away, the rats will play". There were also references apparently made about Rio residents who were killed or who disappeared in recent crimes. Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes said the vandalism is a "crime against the nation." "Those criminals will pay for what they've done. They will go to jail. Rio de Janeiro and Brazil do not deserve this," the mayor said. The graffiti has been removed by the company that has been renovating the monument.