French priest murder sparks more worry

Father Jacques Hamel was attacked and murdered whilst conducting morning mass in his church in Normandy, sparking further security and safety concerns across France. Two attackers entered the church, situated in a quiet square of St-Etienne-du-Rouvray, cut the throat of 85 year-old Hamel, before taking worshippers and two nuns hostage. Elite police units, specialised in hostage-taking, surrounded the church and shot the attackers, killing one and leaving the second in critical condition. While it is not believed to be a direct attack against the Catholic Church, the ‘cowardly assassination’ has once again placed the spotlight on French authorities, after news broke that one of the suspects had been custody and house arrest after trying, and failing, to enter Syria twice. Named as Adel K, he was wearing an electronic surveillance tag at the time of the attack which was temporarily turned off under his probation conditions. French President Francois Hollande, who is meeting with religious leaders before holding a meeting with his security and defence council, has once again appealed for unity and warned that the fight against terrorism ‘will be long’.