The suspect accused of stealing the skull of Saint Zdislava remains free, as the court did not place him in custody

The District Court in Česká Lípa today did not send a man suspected of stealing the skull of Saint Zdislava from the basilica in Jablonné v Podještědí into custody.

The prosecutor had requested detention due to concerns that the suspect might repeat the crime, influence witnesses, or attempt to flee. The hearing was held behind closed doors, and according to a reporter from ČTK, the accused left after the proceedings by car with his lawyer.

Restorers will try to remove the skull from the concrete. On Friday, Česká Lípa police director Petr Rajt said that the result of their efforts would likely not be known for several days. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the priceless historical relic had been saved at the last possible moment.

According to police, the man justified the theft by saying that he disagreed with displaying the relic in a church and wanted to bury it privately.