Knife Attack at St. Joseph’s Church in Upper Bukit Timah

1. On 9 November 2024 at about 6.30pm, the Police received a call for assistance at St. Joseph’s Church located at 620 Upper Bukit Timah Road. A 57-year-old priest of the church had been stabbed during the mass. He was conveyed conscious to hospital and is in a stable condition.

2. Police’s preliminary investigations found that the 37-year-old Singaporean man who had stabbed the priest was disarmed by two members of the congregation. He was subsequently arrested by Police officers who arrived at the scene within ten minutes of the call for assistance. The man has antecedents of serious hurt and misuse of drugs offences. He is believed to have acted alone. There is currently no evidence to suggest that it was a religiously motivated attack or an act of terror. Nonetheless, the Police have stepped up patrols at places of worship to provide assurance to the public. The Police are also in contact with St Joseph’s Church to provide support and resources, including professional psychological support for the congregants (which included children) who witnessed the attack.

Importance of Community Response

3. The response of the members in the congregation, at the Church helped prevent further harm to the priest, possibly others. Two brave men rushed to disarm and subdue the assailant. One of the two men is part of the Church’s Emergency Response Team, which comprises volunteers who are trained to serve as first responders in emergencies. Other members of the congregation provided first aid to the priest before the authorities arrived.

4. This incident shows the value of being prepared for an emergency. Incidents can happen anytime and anywhere, even though such incidents are far and few between in Singapore. Like the two men who helped to deal with the attack, and members of the congregation who provided first aid to the priest, we can all play our part to build up the resilience of our society to emergencies by staying alert, responding to threats appropriately, and picking up life-saving skills such as first-aid, the use of AED devices and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. These skills can make a difference between life and death, and are critical before the authorities arrive on scene, as in this incident.

5. Under the SGSecure national movement, we have been enhancing emergency preparedness and response at the community level via several initiatives, one of which is the Community Response Roundtable (CRRT). The CRRT helps build relationships and strengthen crisis preparedness amongst key community stakeholders. The most recent Bukit Panjang Town CRRT was just held on 2 Nov 2024 at Senja-Cashew Community Club, and St Joseph’s Church was represented. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the People’s Association are currently working with the Bukit Panjang Town CRRT to disseminate information to their partners and stakeholders, and to surface any concerns that might arise within the community. The Police will also continue to work with religious organisations to be vigilant and prepared for emergencies.

6. Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law said, “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. 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 our society in good stead if and when other attacks, including terror attacks, take place.”

7. The suspect will be charged on Monday 11 Nov with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon and the Police will be seeking a court order for the man to be remanded and undergo psychiatric evaluation. We urge the public to refrain from speculation as investigations are ongoing. Instead, let us remain calm and united, and focus on supporting those who were affected by this incident.