A 16-year-old has been accused of stabbing a Christian bishop and a priest during a church service in Sydney, causing tensions to rise in the community. Police have not confirmed reports that the boy’s fingers were severed by parishioners during the incident, but they did confirm that his hand injuries were severe. Video of the attack circulated on social media, leading to an angry mob gathering outside the church, demanding vengeance. The church released a statement denouncing retaliation of any kind, but several people, including police officers, required hospital treatment due to a riot that ensued.
Following the incident, reports of text messages circulating urging the Assyrian Christian community to retaliate against Muslims led to heightened security measures around mosques in Sydney. Australia’s largest mosque, Lakemba Mosque, received firebomb threats and has hired additional private security for the next week. Public anxiety has been on the rise after a separate knife attack in a shopping mall on Saturday that left five women and a male security guard dead. The assailant in that incident, Joel Cauchi, had a history of mental illness and trouble with women. He was shot dead by police.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for calm and urged the public not to take the law into their own hands. New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb declared the church attack a terrorist incident, giving police expanded powers to stop and search people, premises, and vehicles without a warrant. Webb stated that the teen’s comments and actions indicated a religious motive for the attack, although she did not provide specific details. The suspect is currently in the hospital under police guard, and while he has a history of offenses, he was not on a terror watch list.
The teen suspect, who cannot be publicly identified due to being a juvenile offender, was convicted in January for various offenses, including possession of a switchblade knife and damaging property. He had been released on a good behavior bond but used a switchblade, an illegal weapon in Australia, in Monday’s attack. While the bishop and priest injured in the attack are in stable condition, the bishop’s condition is improving, according to the church’s statement. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel is known for his outspoken views on various issues, including global political matters and the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. The incident has led to concerns about misinformation spreading on social media and the incitement of violence, with community leaders urging for unity and understanding in the wake of these events.
