Youth spoke of church attack

FRANCE – The teenage Islamic State follower who cut the throat of a Catholic priest celebrating mass in northern France was released from prison despite being determined to join jihadis in Syria.

As Adel Kermiche’s family battled to save him from joining the terror group, friends told how the 19-year-old had become increasingly radicalised and had threatened to attack a church.

School mates described Kermiche as “easily influenced” and a “buffoon” who never took to learning.

One teenager who knew him said that when he heard about the church attack he knew Kermiche was involved.

He said: “I wasn’t surprised. He talked about it all the time. He talked about Islam, the things like this he was going to do. He talked about the Qur’an and Mecca and he told me ‘I’m going to attack a church’.”

On Tuesday morning, Kermiche carried out that threat, entering the church at Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen in Normandy with another attacker, where he forced Father Jacques Hamel, 86, to his knees and slit his throat. A second man, one of five hostages held by the attackers, was left in a critical condition after they attempted to cut his throat.

The two attackers were shot dead by police as they emerged from the church.

French investigators believe the second attacker was a 19-year-old from south-eastern France who was previously unknown to the police. The source said the delay in formally identifying Abdel Malik P as the second attacker occurred because DNA tests were being carried out. His identity card was found at Kermiche’s home on Tuesday, the source said. - PNC