Court records show a woman accused of splashing paint on the Washington National Cathedral will not be prosecuted.

Jiamei Tian allegedly vandalised the church in July 2013, and is suspected of defacing other properties, including the Lincoln Memorial. 

Tian was in possession of what appeared to be green paint in a soda can when she was arrested last year inside the cathedral. 

Similar vandalism occurred at the Lincoln Memorial several days prior. 

DC Superior Court Judge John McCabe found Tian mentally incompetent to stand trial late last year, and determined that she was unlikely to regain competence.

On Tuesday, the charges against Tian were dismissed, as prosecutors were unable to proceed with their case following Judge McCabe's ruling. 

Several acts of vandalism against churches, nativity scenes, and other religious displays occurred around the holiday season. 

Parishioners at St. Odilo in Berwyn, Illinois were shocked to discover the destruction of property that occurred before the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe last month. 

The December 12 feast honours Jesus' mother, Mary, and is observed by some Hispanic Catholics. The church is located in a Chicago suburb with a large Hispanic population.

St. Odilo's Nativity display was egged, a statue of Jesus was knocked down, and statues of Jesus and Mary were decapitated. 

Pastor Anthony Brankin said that the timing of the crime was probably not a coincidence.

"It was very intentional, I think, to do something against religion in a very religious week and a very religious month," he told Reuters.