According to prosecutors in the Belgian town of Lanaken, Limburg, Father Jos Vanderlee, a 65-year-old priest, was stabbed at his home on Sunday by an asylum seeker, after the priest let the man in to have a shower.
Advertisement
After being allowed on the premises, the suspect demanded money from Fr Vanderlee, lunging at him and injuring the priest’s hands.
The man, named locally as Jos Vanderlee, aged 65, let the man in after he knocked on the door asking to use the bathroom to get clean, according to reports. When the priest refused to hand over cash, the refugee stabbed him before fleeing the scene.
But after using his shower, the man asked the priest for money before allegedly stabbing him when the pastor said no.
The priest was rushed to hospital but is not in a serious condition.
The alleged attacker was reportedly trying to claim asylum in the Netherlands, just a few miles away from the sleepy village where the priest lives.
The mayor of Lanake Marino Keulen, said: “Despite the fact that we are shocked, we must stress that this incident cannot be linked to terrorist acts at this stage of the investigation”.
Pastor Vanderlee is looks after eight parishes in the area and celebrated 40 years of priesthood earlier this year.
An investigation has been launched but authorities have stressed they do not believe the incident is linked to terrorism.
Advertisement
The 85-year-old clergyman was in his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, when he was attacked by the teenage knifemen on Tuesday.
