Sydney stabbing: Teenager arrested after man killed at Scientology complex in Australia

Boy questioned by police over attack at £32m church headquarters following ‘domestic incident’

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after a man was stabbed to death at a Scientology centre in Australia.

Police said a 24-year-old man was knifed in the neck at the complex in the Chatswood area of Sydney as the teenager was being escorted from the premises following a “domestic incident”.

The victim, identified by authorities as a Taiwanese national, later died in hospital. A second man was also treated for a minor injury.

Simon Jones, detective superintendent at New South Wales Police, told a press conference the two victims had been “employees” of the Scientology centre.

“A 16-year-old young person was asked to leave the Scientology premises here at Chatswood,” he said. “He was escorted from the premises and on being escorted down the driveway, a knife was produced.

“With that knife he stabbed who we believe to be a 24-year-old Taiwanese male in the neck and he also caused some lacerations to an older gentleman also escorting him from the premises.

“It would appear that the altercation or the reason that the young person had been removed from the premises was only and solely due to a domestic incident.”

The teenager was arrested at the scene and taken to a police station in North Sydney, where he is understood to be cooperating with the investigation.

Police said the suspect initially had “lawful reasons” to be on the complex, but was later asked to leave by representatives of the church.

Officers are now trying to contact the family of the man killed in the incident.

“The victim was a beloved member of our church,” a Scientology spokesperson said in a statement released to The Sydney Morning Herald. “The church is providing the police with any assistance needed in their investigation.”

The Chatswood centre is the Asia-Pacific headquarters of Scientology and its largest complex outside of the United States.

Costing an estimated A$57m (£32m) to construct, the centre was opened with much fanfare by the religious group’s leader, David Miscavige, in 2016.