The mysterious case of the Madonna statue which continues to create a controversy.

Civitavecchia, 2^nd February 1995. Jessica Gregori, 5, says she has seen tears of blood flow from the Madonna statue in the garden of her home.

This phenomenon is repeated several times during the next few days. The local bishop is skeptical, However, two months later, Monsignor Grillo confirms that this, in fact, has actually occurred while he was holding the statue in the presence of other people. In the meantime, the Gregoris are accused of abusing popular beliefs and of fraud and criminal association. The plaster statue is impounded and undergoes a series of tests. Chaos and controversy rage. After six years of investigation, no deception is uncovered and the court finally dismisses the case. The mysterious occurrence continues to attract the public’s attention and there is now a sequel. Another statue of the Madonna has replaced the first in the Gregori garden. It is an identical copy of the previous one and also comes from Medjugorje. It was donated to the family 10 years ago by Cardinal Andrej Deskur after the first statue was impounded. From that Madonna, and from the ivy surrounding it, oozes out an oily perfumed liquid.