Australian authorities have brought forth charges against yet another teenager in connection with a terrorism-related offence following the recent stabbing of an Assyrian Christian bishop during a live-streamed sermon in Sydney.
The 15-year-old boy stands accused of conspiring to prepare a terrorist act, as announced by New South Wales police, with his case scheduled for hearing in a children’s court later today.
The assault on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, wounded during the April 15 attack at his church, occurred shortly after a tragic mass stabbing incident in Bondi.
Sydney, known as one of the world’s safest major cities, typically experiences low rates of gun and knife crimes.
In a separate development, authorities have also pressed terrorism-related charges against five other teenagers believed to be associates of a 16-year-old boy previously implicated in the attack on Mr Emmanuel.
Renowned for his outspokenness on social media, Bishop Emmanuel, serving at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, Sydney, has garnered attention for his vocal criticism of various issues, including homosexuality, Covid vaccinations, Islam, and the election of US President Joe Biden.
The Assyrian Church, with its global headquarters in Iraq, represents a Christian denomination tracing its historical roots to regions encompassing parts of modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iran.
