In a shocking incident of hate crime, a Catholic priest from Kerala was stabbed by an Italian man at St Matthews Church in Melbourne.
According to reports, Reverend Tomy Kalathoor Mathew was just about to begin the Sunday mass when an attacker shouted “You are Indian, a Hindu or Muslim, you cannot say mass… I will kill you!” and stabbed him in the neck with a kitchen knife.
The stabbing happened in front of dozens of parishioners. The attacker fled the scene immediately.
However, the Melbourne Police arrested a 72-year old Italian in connection with the attack.
The priest was admitted to a hospital after the receiving first aid at the church. He is reportedly out of danger.
Reverend Tomy Kalathoor Mathew is a native of Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode district.
