Teen Charged With Terrorism Offenses Following Sydney Church Stabbings of Bishop and Priest

Police in Sydney have charged a 16-year-old kid with terrorism-related offences after he is alleged to have stabbed two Christian priests during a church service.

The teen’s alleged religious motive prompted authorities to classify the stabbing as a terrorist incident. The child went up to ninety minutes from his home to Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s western suburbs.

The young guy described in Arabic how, after his stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and the Rev. Isaac Royel on Monday night at an Assyrian Orthodox church, the Prophet Muhammad was insulted. Later, after being overcome by parishioners, he suffered serious hand injuries.

“Investigators went to a medical facility yesterday to speak with the suspected culprit, who was accused of carrying out a terrorist attack,” Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said at a news conference held in Sydney on Friday. The maximum punishment for the crime is life in prison.

On Friday, the case was heard before a children’s court in Sydney. The minor, who will remain anonymous, did not show up via video connection from his hospital bed, nor did he request bail during the short session.

During Friday’s court hearing, the teen’s attorney said that he has visited three psychologists, a school counselor, and a psychiatrist in the past due to incidents with knives.

The 16-year-old may have “anger management and behavioral issues” and a “short fuse,” according to the boy’s family, but he had not shown any indications of radicalization.

Greg Scragg, the 16-year-old’s attorney, said that the youngster had a “long history of behavior” that was indicative of either an intellectual handicap or a mental condition.

The youngster should have a mental health evaluation while he is being held, the magistrate said. After being discharged from the hospital, he will be placed under remand custody at a children’s detention facility until his subsequent court date on June 14.

Following the incident, up to 600 people flocked to the church, some of them demanding that the authorities turn over the youngster. After hours of violence, 51 police officers were hurt. Mosques in Sydney were also threatened with firebombs.

In an audio recording made public on Thursday, the bishop said he was “doing fine, recovering very quickly” and expressed forgiveness to his assailant. In addition, he called for calm in the wake of the incident, which was the second high-profile knife attack in Australia in as many weeks. On Saturday, a man fatally slashed six people at a major Sydney retail center before being shot.

“Clearly, this was a terrorism event,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in reference to the church assault, adding that the riots that followed had been unfortunate.

In addition, Albanese told radio station 3AW on Friday, “as a Sydneysider, I must say, the response was very disappointing with police being attacked; they should be treated with respect at all times.” “The assaults that took place that evening shouldn’t have occurred to our police, who work very hard to keep us secure. Additionally, charges have been brought about as a result of it.

Up to fifty people may have been engaged in the disturbance, according to police, who also anticipate making additional arrests in the next several days.

In a high-visibility operation, more officers have been stationed in that area of western Sydney, according to NSW officers Commissioner Karen Webb, “for as long as needed to reassure the community, we are there to keep them safe.”