GARDAÍ last night they were treating the desecration of a crypt in Dublin as "a planned crime".
An 800-year-old mummy known as 'The Crusader', which is located at St Michan's Church, was decapitated after the vault was broken into.
The head was removed and is still missing. Two other mummified remains, including the 400-year-old remains of a nun, were badly damaged as well as the crypt.
It is believed the theft happened over the weekend with the damage discovered on Monday.
Assistant Garda Commissioner Pat Leahy visited the scene yesterday and said they believe it was not just "mindless vandalism."
He said they were investigating the possibility that it was a planned crime adding that it was "an outrageous act" and there was "no sense nor meaning to what has taken place."
There are concerns that the decapitated head will begin to disintegrate in the open air.
The Church of Ireland and Catholic Archbishops of Dublin, Dr Michael Jackson and Dr Diarmuid Martin, also visited the scene yesterday.
Dr Jackson said "the damage is barbaric", while Dr Martin said it was "an offence to the city" and was "horrible vandalism of a peculiar kind".
