Beyond the trauma to the priest and those present during the attack at St Joseph’s Church, the incident also poses a risk to broader peace and stability in Singapore, says former journalist and NMP Nicholas Fang.
Composite of a view of St Joseph's Church along Upper Bukit Timah and its parish priest, Father Christopher Lee. on Saturday was a shocking attack that stunned many who are unused to such violent assaults in the usually staid and peaceful Singapore.
As is typical in such attacks, speculation on the motives of the attacker often spreads as quickly as news of it happening, however sparse the facts. There is also the possibility of fear and panic spreading over the potential for more attacks taking place. In the hours following the attack for example, speculation in Telegram groups favoured by anti-vaccination individuals centered on whether the attacker had been affected or influenced by the COVID-19 vaccination.The attack underlines the importance of how different stakeholders react in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.
But the recent tragic outbreak of violence in the United Kingdom earlier this year underlines why a surfeit of caution when it comes to information-sharing might not have been the best option.As the shock of the heinous attack swept the nation, little information was released about the suspect other than he was a 17-year-old because laws in the UK make it a criminal offence to identify a suspect who is a minor until legal proceedings begin.
There is no guarantee that being more forthcoming with facts and information would have helped the UK authorities lower temperatures and reduce the chances of violence breaking out, but it is clear that the reticence did not help, even if it was mandated by law.
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