Published:
Apr 16, 2024 00:32 GMT
The authorities described the event as a “terrorist attack.”
A under 15 years old was arrested by Australian authorities, identified as the alleged perpetrator of attack this Monday with a knife to a bishop and three parishioners in the Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, located in the town of Wakeley, west of the city of Sydney, in Australia, inform local media.
“Reports indicate that has injuries to his hands; “I don't know the extent of those injuries at this time,” reported the acting deputy commissioner of the New South Wales Police, Andrew Holland, in a press conference he gave after the events, when asked about rumors that the young man had had a finger cut off after the attack, as a act of revenge.
He then added that “his injuries are quite serious to his hand” and that he was “quite upset and distraught.”
“He has asked to speak to his parents and right now we are doing [esos] arrangements,” the uniformed man added to the press.
After the events, the teenager, once in the hands of the Police, was taken to an undisclosed location for his safety.
New South Wales Police confirmed the alleged attacker was known to officers and was not a regular churchgoer.
The facts
The attack occurred when Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was celebrating a mass, which was broadcast live on the internet. The boy, dressed in black, approached him and stabbed in the face and body. After that, the priest fell to the ground.
Screams were heard from the crowd, as several people rushed to try to help the wounded bishop. Others present, between 20 and 60 years old, were also injured; among them Father Isaac Royel.
Parishioners attacked the teenager, to hold him while the Police arrived. They did “a fantastic job,” Holland said.
Shortly after learning of the attack, a shocked crowd gathered outside the church. More than 100 police officers and more than 30 police vehicles arrived at the area, including specialized officers, as well as a helicopter.
The uniformed officers clashed with the crowd when riots broke out, resulting in several of them injured and some police cars damaged. It took the agents hours to control the situation.
Once the area was deemed safe enough, Police took the teenager out of the church and took him to an undisclosed location.
Local Police Commissioner Karen Webb declared the incident a “terrorist attack.”
