Police step up patrols at places of worship after St Joseph's Church stabbing

SINGAPORE – The police have stepped up patrols at places of worship here after a priest was stabbed at a Catholic church in Upper Bukit Timah on Nov 9.

This is to provide assurance to the public despite there being no evidence currently to suggest that the attack was religiously motivated or an act of terror, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Nov 10.

The 37-year-old Singaporean assailant, who has been identified as Basnayake Keith Spencer, stabbed the Reverend Christopher Lee while the parish priest was conducting evening mass at St Joseph’s Church.

Noting that the quick response of church members had helped to prevent further harm to the priest and possibly others, the authorities said the incident emphasised the value of being prepared for an emergency.

Preliminary police investigations found that the attacker was disarmed by two members of the congregation, one of whom is part of the church’s emergency response team. Other members of the congregation provided first aid to the priest before the authorities arrived.

MHA said police arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of the call for assistance and arrested the assailant, who will be charged in court on Nov 11.

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Police are in contact with St Joseph’s Church to provide support and resources, including professional psychological support for the congregants, including children, who witnessed the attack, added MHA.

As with those who helped in the aftermath of the attack, Singaporeans can play their part to build up societal resilience to emergencies by staying alert, responding to threats appropriately, and picking up life-saving skills such as first aid, the use of automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, said the ministry.

“These skills can make a difference between life and death, and are critical before the authorities arrive on scene,” it added.

In the statement, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said he was encouraged to read about the outpouring of support from the other faiths in Singapore in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

“We have seen in other countries that violent incidents in a religious setting or with religious undertones can sometimes spark distrust and suspicion between religious communities,” he noted.

“We are fortunate that in Singapore, our various faiths and their leaders have instead stood shoulder to shoulder in support of each other during trying times, including this incident.”

This will stand Singapore in good stead if and when other attacks, including terror attacks, take place, added Mr Shanmugam.

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Separately, the Catholic Church here said it will revisit security protocols already in place in its parishes, while recognising that churches are public spaces.

Archbishop William Goh said in a pastoral letter on Nov 10 that going overboard with security measures may discourage the faithful from going to church, and overreacting “would show a lack of courage, allowing evil to triumph by controlling our lives”.

He said the Catholic Church has anticipated security incidents, and in 2016 formed the Archdiocesan Emergency Response Operations Council to coordinate and improve security in parishes here.

Even so, every person who visits the church must be vigilant and alert those on duty if they notice something unusual, and should show understanding when crowd control measures have to be put in place, he added.

Cardinal Goh, who leads the Catholic Church here, also posted a video that showed Father Lee recuperating in hospital.

“The consequences could have been worse, but in this case, his life and his critical organs were protected,” said Cardinal Goh. “It is a wake-up call for us all, not just the Catholic Church, but all other religious organisations, to remind their worshippers and members to be more vigilant in looking out for suspicious activity.”

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong said he was happy to hear that Father Lee’s surgery went well, and that he was glad to see that the incident has not deterred Catholics from celebrating mass as a community.

The singular unity and calm with which the different faith communities here responded to the incident was also deeply heartening, he added.

“This is testament to the deeply ingrained and unique religious harmony in Singapore, where we are diverse in faith but united in harmony,” said Mr Tong.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.