Australian authorities charged five juveniles on Thursday in connection with the alleged perpetrator of the April 15 Wakeley church attack. The charges come after police from New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested seven juveniles for their suspected involvement with the April 15 attack.
A series of searches were conducted in several suburbs of Sydney and Goulburn, resulting in the arrest of seven male juveniles. Of the seven arrested, the charges announced on Thursday were against only five. The charges brought against the five include possession or control of material promoting violent extremism, conspiracy to commit acts aimed at preparing or planning a terrorist act and conspiracy to commit any act in preparation or planning of a terrorist act. All five were denied bail to appear before a children’s court on Thursday.
The stabbing, which is still being investigated, occurred on April 15 at a church in Sydney, Australia. According to the Christ the Good Shepherd Church official statement, a knife attack occurred during a live-streaming of Bible preaching. The attacker inflicted several blows on the head and body of the bishop and then made an attempt on the second parish priest. After that, the attacker was detained by believers who were in the church and the police.
Soon after, mass nervousness arose in the church among people who demanded the police to withdraw. When the situation erupted, the police took action to control the crowd, which led to large-scale riots. The local bishop Mar Marie Emmanuel, who was the main victim of the attack that took place, forgave his attacker and expressed hope that the police would find the real culprit. The church also called on its parishioners to resolve the conflict peacefully.
Police previously charged a 16-year-old with terrorism on April 18 in connection to the stabbing. The boy, who was known to the police, entered the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley during a live-streamed event and attacked the bishop and several worshipers. According to police, religious extremism was a possible motive behind the attack.