Sydney church stabbing: police charge 16year-old boy with terrorism offence
Police have charged a 16-year-old boy alleged to have stabbed a bishop and priest at a western Sydney church with a terrorism offence.
On Thursday night, New South Wales police announced the teenager, who had been recovering after undergoing surgery after severing his finger following the attack on Monday night, had been charged.
Police said in a statement that on Thursday afternoon counter-terrorism investigators “attended a medical facility to interview the boy, before he was charged with committing a terrorist act … an offence which carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for life”.
The police said the boy had been refused bail and was expected to appear before a bedside court hearing on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, the first person arrested and charged for taking part in the riots that broke out in the aftermath of the alleged stabbing of bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, 53, at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church appeared at court.
Dani Mansour, 19, was charged with riot, affray and destroying or damaging property as part of the mob that allegedly attacked police on Monday night.
The 53-year-old bishop, who had been in hospital since the alleged stabbing, spoke his followers on Thursday.
A 39-year-old priest was also allegedly stabbed after trying to intervene, according to police in the incident on Monday. He and the bishop were expected to recover after undergoing surgery.
The incident triggered a riot outside the church allegedly involving violence towards police and paramedics.
The church on Thursday released an audio statement from Emmanuel in which the bishop, speaking from his hospital bed, said he was recovering well and that he was praying for his alleged attacker.
Emmanuel, who has a popular online presence and a large following, has previously criticised Islam and the prophet Muhammad in public sermons.