19-4-2024 (SYDNEY) A 16-year-old adolescent faces charges of terrorism following the alleged stabbing of an Assyrian church bishop in Sydney during a religious service, as confirmed by Australian authorities on April 19. Investigations persist into the chaos ensuing a knife attack.
Officials from the joint counter-terrorism team interrogated the youth, presently hospitalised under police supervision for recovery from injuries, on April 18. He stands accused of committing a terrorist act, an offence carrying a potential life imprisonment sentence upon conviction.
The adolescent has been denied bail, and authorities anticipate his appearance for a bedside court hearing scheduled for April 19, according to New South Wales State Police Commissioner Karen Webb’s statements in a press briefing.
Law enforcement will assert that the bishop sustained up to six stab wounds and that the assailant travelled 90 minutes from his residence to reach the church, Ms Webb elaborated.
Following the assault on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, a tumult erupted outside the church as an agitated crowd demanded the surrender of the suspected assailant. The fracas resulted in over 50 police officers sustaining injuries, with 20 police vehicles damaged.
The 53-year-old bishop commands a substantial youth following on TikTok and has endured criticism, animosity, and online harassment. His sermons range from scriptural teachings to vehement critiques on subjects like homosexuality, Covid-19 vaccinations, Islam, and the presidency of Joe Biden.
Bishop Emmanuel conveyed a message via social media on April 18, expressing forgiveness towards his attacker and stating his swift recovery.
Two knife assaults within a span of three days – one at a shopping centre near Bondi Beach claiming six lives on April 13, and another at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s western region on April 15 – have deeply unsettled residents of Australia’s largest city.
These incidents have spurred demands for bolstered public safety measures in Australia, a nation renowned for stringent laws that have kept gun-related crimes and knife attacks at bay.
The shopping complex is set to resume operations on April 19, while a candlelit vigil has been scheduled for April 21 to commemorate the victims. The assailant from the mall incident, identified as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was fatally shot by law enforcement officers.
