SAMSUN - Pierre Brunissen, the French priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern city of Samsun, was stabbed due to personal reasons, not for religious reasons, said chief prosecutor Ahmet Gokcinar.
Holding a press conference today, Gokcinar noted that the investigation into the incident which occurred last Sunday is about to be completed.
``It has been revealed that the priest and the suspect have known each other for some time. In this context, I would like to say that this incident occurred due to personal relations. The suspect is a mentally ill person,`` he said.
According to Gokcinar, it is the Turkish judiciary which will decide whether or not to punish the suspect, taking into consideration his mental disorder.
Gokcinar said that a trial has been continuing against the suspect on charges of killing one of his relatives, and added that an investigation has been launched on charges of three robbery cases against him.
74-year-old Brunissen was injured in his hip in the knife attack last Sunday. He was discharged from hospital after being treated.