A Bosnian court has sentenced an Italian citizen to one year in prison after he confessed to being part of a group that extorted money from foreigners escorting pilgrims to the Medjugorje shrine.
The court imposed the sentence after finding Luca Cobre, the manager of a hotel in Medjugorje, guilty of organised crime.
Medjugorje is a small village where a shrine marks the apparitions of the Virgin Mary apparently witnessed by six young people in 1981.
The extortion group allegedly threatened to close Italian tourist agencies or non-governmental organizations in Medjugorje and expel their owners if they did not pay. Its members also allegedly tried to force pilgrimage tour operators to rent their hotels.
The other alleged group members, who include local government officials, pleaded not guilty and are on trial.
Having been unable to sell in churches for well over a year due to the pandemic, we are now inviting readers to support the Herald by investing in our future. We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values.
Please join us on our 130 year mission by supporting us. We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching. For more information from our chairman on contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund, click here
Make a Donation
Donors giving £500 or more will automatically become sponsor patrons of the Herald. This includes two complimentary print/digital gift subscriptions, invitations to Patron events, pilgrimages and dinners, and 6 gift subscriptions sent to priests, seminaries, Catholic schools, religious care homes and prison and university chaplaincies. Click here for more information on becoming a Patron Sponsor. Click here for more information about contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund