In the wake of the purported stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a service at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, Sydney, a tumultuous riot unfolded. The unrest led to injuries to five individuals, including two police officers. Amid the chaos, a 19-year-old man was apprehended and charged with offenses related to the riot following alleged stabbing at church, such as destruction of property.
The stabbing incident resulted in Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel suffering head lacerations, Father Isaac Royel sustaining cuts and a shoulder injury, and the 16-year-old alleged offender sustaining a finger injury. The violence prompted New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb to declare it a “terrorist incident,” garnering support from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing under Strike Force Dribbs, with the recent arrest being the first of more expected. The events have highlighted the need for swift action to address the violence that erupted following the alleged stabbing at the Assyrian Orthodox Church in Sydney.