Teen charged with terrorism over Sydney bishop stabbing

Thousands of Muslims gathered in mosques across Sydney for regular prayers on Friday despite concerns about retaliatory attacks after police charged a 16-year-old boy with a terrorism offence over the stabbing of a Sydney bishop earlier this week.

Police charged a 16-year-old boy with a terrorism offence on Thursday for the alleged stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at a church on Monday. Footage from the scene showed the boy restrained by the congregation and shouting at Emmanuel for insulting Islam.

Police said they will allege he stabbed the bishop, who is in stable condition in hospital, as many as six times. The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The boy was refused bail.

A mob of thousands descended on the church after the attack, where they clashed with police and demanded the boy be brought out to face justice. Hours afterwards the Lakemba mosque, one of Australia’s largest, received fire bomb threats.

Read more: Reuters