Two Bulgarian women, aged 51 and 48, have been handed four-year suspended prison sentences for an attack on centuries-old artefacts across three museums in Athens.
The women, who are cleaners, were arrested earlier this month in a museum when guards spotted them smearing a display cabinet in frying oil.
In their court hearing, they cited religious reasons as their motivation behind their actions.
According to their defence lawyer, Maria Constantopoulou by using the oil they believed that they were anointing the Christian-era artefacts, and purifying them of evil spirits.
In their court appearance on Tuesday in Athens, one of the women read from the Bible, quoting from it in a bid to explain and support her acts, reported The Associated Press.
A number of the artefacts, which were damaged in the attack underwent extensive conservation.
