Alex Trelinski
A MAN attacked four Franciscan friars inside a Valencia monastery on Saturday, with one of his victims left fighting for his life.
The aggressor used a stick and a bottle in the assaults and shouted that ‘I am Jesus Christ and I am going to kill the monks’.
The monastery invasion happened at Santo Espiritu del Monte in Gilet.
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The man jumped over the monastery fence at around 9.30am, and then entered four bedrooms- kicking and punching his victims.
The Franciscan friars had just retired to their private quarters after having breakfast.
The intruder fled after being stopped by one of the monks who went to the aid of his stricken companions.
The attacker- a 46-year-old Spaniard- was arrested almost 24 hours later at a squatted flat seven kilometres away in Sagunto and taken to the Guardia Civil barracks in Pucol.
He is said to be a ‘habitual’ drug user of substances like cocaine.
Gilet mayor, Salva Costa, said: “He created a chaotic situation inside the monastery.”
“One of the victims aged 76 suffered a head injury and is in a critical condition,” Costa added.
Three other monks were hospitalised- one of them 95 years of age.
Only seven Franciscans live at Santo Espiritu del Monte which is also used as a spiritual retreat, but there were no visitors at the time.
“It’s something that is unthinkable, here everyone always has the doors open,” said Mayor Costa.
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