The teenage boy who allegedly stabbed a bishop at a Sydney church on Monday has been charged with committing a terrorist act. The 16-year-old was interviewed by counter-terrorism police last night while under guard in hospital.
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00:00 In the moments after a teenage boy approached the church altar, police
00:06 allege he stabbed Bishop Ma Marie Emmanuel up to six times. We also allege
00:11 that the boy had travelled for 90 minutes to attend that location from his
00:16 home address. The bishop was hospitalised with cuts to his head after the attack
00:21 at the Wakeley Church on Monday night, while Father Isaac Royel was also
00:25 injured as he tried to intervene. The 16-year-old boy has now been charged
00:30 with one count of committing a terrorist act. Investigators from the Joint
00:34 Counterterrorism Team completed search warrants at the alleged offenders home
00:39 where a number of items were seized. The boy remains in hospital with hand
00:44 injuries while his case was heard in court for the first time. His lawyer
00:48 Greg Scragg told the Parramatta Children's Court his client does have a
00:52 long history with intermittent psychiatric treatment dating from about
00:56 five years of age up until shortly before the commission of the alleged
01:00 offences. The boy did not appear in court in person or via video link and his
01:05 lawyer did not apply for bail on his behalf. The case was adjourned until June
01:10 but Mr. Scragg told the court he may request another hearing in the coming
01:14 weeks in relation to the teenager's mental health assessment. The bishop has
01:18 already forgiven his alleged attacker.
01:22 Muslim leaders are also calling for calm. The social media has to be somehow held
01:31 accountable because there are unsubstantiated threats going around.
01:36 There's been information on applications like whatsapp, tik-tok, other things that
01:41 are suggesting certain things and they're not true. Praying for peace at a
01:49 time of heightened tensions.
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