The Authourities in Australia have charged a 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing two clerics during a church service in Sydney with committing a terrorist offense.
The Police which is investigating if the acted alone or as part of a wider network said the act was regarded as terrorism because of the teenager’s suspected religious motivation and because he undertook a trip of some 90 minutes from his home to the church.
The boy, who is recovering from injuries spoke about the Prophet Muhammad having been insulted after he stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and the Reverend Isaac Royel at an Assyrian Orthodox service on Monday.
The boy’s lawyer, Greg Scragg, said the teen has been involved in knife-related offenses in the past and that he was about to see a psychiatrist.
If the boy is convicted, the offense carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for life.