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The skull of Saint Zdislava, which was stolen this week from a Czech church, has been recovered encased in concrete.
A suspect has been arrested, who reportedly confessed to taking the skull of the 13th-century saint from a glass shrine in the basilica of St Lawrence and St Zdislava in the town of Jablonné v Podještědí on Tuesday.
As per the police, the 35-year-old had objected to the relic being publicly displayed and was planning to throw it into a river.
"We know he wanted to sink it in the river today to bid farewell in this way," the police chief, Petr Rajt, said. "If we had failed to detain the man yesterday, the skull would probably never be found."
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Saint Zdislava, born around 1220 and believed to have died at the age of 30, was a noblewoman known for her charitable work. She was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 1995.
As reported by The Guardian, the theft took place shortly before mass when the church alarm was switched off. The suspect allegedly smashed the glass shrine before fleeing with the skull.
Jan Ujka, a local detective, said the suspect had pleaded guilty and was charged with offences including theft. He is being held in pretrial custody.
Notably, the man, who previously held no criminal record, could face up to eight years in prison.
