Stabbing at Wakeley church declared a terrorist act; police granted additional powers

by GRACE JOHNSON

Monday night’s stabbing at a church in western Sydney was deemed a terrorist incident by NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb early Tuesday morning.

Webb made the statement at about 1:35am. It was validated by Police Minister Yasmin Catley at 1.44am, who then passed on the information to Premier Chris Minns at 2am.

“We believe there are elements that are satisfied in terms of religious-motivated extremism,” said Webb.

The attacker, a teenager who cannot be named due to prohibitions on identifying children involved in crimes, had not previously been on any terror watch list, and it is believed he was acting alone.

At 7pm on Monday evening, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was delivering a sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley when a black-clad male calmly walked up to the Christian leader and began frantically stabbing at his head and body.

Priest Isaac Royel was also stabbed in the violent attack.

The graphic scene was captured on a livestream of the service. Footage showed churchgoers jump to apprehend the attacker.

As news of the attack on the bishop spread, an angry crowd and heavy police presence began to build outside.

Police reportedly retained the attacker in the church for his safety. Footage circulating on social media shows an angry crowd chanting, “Bring him out”.

Several projectiles, including bricks and concrete palings, were thrown at police officers and property.

Webb warned that those who attacked police could “expect a knock on the door”.

“It might not be today. It might not be tomorrow, but we will find you and we will come and arrest you,” she said.

A bystander waiting to retrieve his car, blocked by a barrier of riot squad police, told City Hub that police had inflicted violence in the process of pushing community members away from the church, hitting them with batons and using pepper spray.

Those who had been in the church and who had arrived later had been pushed to the other side of Smithfield Road.

Dozens of people were waiting to access their vehicles but were told by police to “get an Uber”.

When asked how long it would be before bystanders could retrieve their cars, an officer said, “How long is a piece of string?”

Declaration of terrorist attack

The designation of Monday evening’s events as a terrorist incident allows police to use extraordinary powers in their investigations of the attack.

Police will be allowed, without a warrant, to stop and search people and vehicles, demand the disclosure of a person’s identity, stop and search a person or a vehicle, place a cordon around a target area, and seize and detain suspected items, including vehicles.

Under the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act, the powers can be authorised for up to 24 hours to respond to an attack, or up to a week to prevent one, but they can be extended to a maximum period of two days to respond and two weeks to prevent.

At 10:30pm on Monday night, Minns held a meeting with faith leaders from several western Sydney religious communities.

All leaders “endorsed and supported a unanimous condemnation of violence in any form, called for the community to follow first responder and police instructions, and called for calm in the community”, Minns said.