Sydney church stabbing: Troubling audio message circulating among Muslims after attack: ‘These kids have been poisoned’

The boy accused of stabbing a bishop while delivering a sermon was mentally ‘poisoned’ in the lead-up to the alleged attack, Muslims who prayed with him claim.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have attacked 53-year-old Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and stabbed him in the head at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, west of New York, at around 7pm on Monday. Sydney.

Father Isaac Royel, who serves in the Assyrian ministry at St Shimun Bar Sabbae and St Mary Cathedral, was one of several parishioners who tried to intervene – and is said to have suffered cuts and a shoulder wound as a result.

In the aftermath of the incident, a WhatsApp audio message circulated among Sydney’s Muslim community, reportedly identifying the accused boy: The Australian reported.

“Unfortunately, unfortunately, that (alleged attacker) prayed (with us) today… These children were poisoned by a monster,” the audio message said.

“This child has been poisoned,” the message continued. “This kid, as soon as I saw (the videos), it was him. Stay calm, stay patient, inshallah.”

Police declared the alleged stabbing, which unfolded via livestream, an act of terrorism, with federal and state police claiming the stabbing was motivated by religious extremism.

However, given the young age of the accused knifeman, some have questioned the decision to label the incident as terror-related, highlighting that mental health may have been the overarching cause.

However, NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was comfortable with the police’s decision.

“It is very important to note, and I have made this clear to the community leaders I have spoken to today, that this is not an indication of the person of interest who is currently in police custody,” he told ABC’s 7.30 Report.

‘This is a designation that is required under the legislation to unlock powers for that investigation, and the police have made that assessment. This is not a performative gesture.”

The alleged attacker is pictured in the aftermath of the stabbing

Mr Minns said the state’s police commissioner, Karen Webb, made the decision “based on information indicating a religiously motivated attack”, which was also reportedly premeditated.

When asked whether the decision had been made correctly, the Prime Minister said: “I believe so.”

“This is a judgement,” he added. “My judgment is that it was the right decision last night.”

Churchgoers said they saw the alleged perpetrator wandering past the church before the attack and said he stood out from regular parishioners.

“He knew the service was being streamed live and was waiting for the camera to turn on before the (alleged) attack,” Mary Anoya said.

Both the injured men and the 16-year-old boy were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The teenager remains under police guard.

The incident caused a furor as around 2,000 people arrived at the church and clashed with police as they tried to reach the teenager, chanting “an eye for an eye.”

The incident sparked riots when an angry crowd of parishioners clashed with police as they fought to gain access to the boy, who had to be separated from the crowd for his own safety.

During the commotion, projectiles were thrown at officers, more than twenty police vehicles were damaged and property was stolen.

Two police officers were taken to hospital after being injured by members of the crowd who “invaded a number of houses to obtain weapons to throw at the police.”

The 16-year-old was taken from the church and taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery for hand injuries sustained during the alleged attack.

He accidentally cut off one of his own fingers during the alleged attack, after rumors initially spread on social media that he had been injured by vigilantes.

A joint NSW Counter Terrorism Team has been launched to investigate the incident, comprising members of the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organization and the NSW Crime Commission.