Saint Sebastian Guild in Essen remains devastated after theft of bronze statue: "The chance is slim that we will ever see it again"

A bronze statue was stolen from the garden of the Oude Pastorij in Essen, which had been installed in 2018 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Koninklijke Sint-Sebastiaansgilde. The theft was discovered during the autumn holiday when a child playing in the garden alerted the caretaker. The statue, created by artist Ivo Nijs, represented the guild's four disciplines and was a significant symbol of local history and tradition. The guild's leader, Fons Van Thillo, expressed doubt about recovering the statue, citing the high value of bronze today. The police are investigating the incident, which is not the first theft of a bronze statue in the area.