Rome, Italy, Jan 19, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Salesian News Agency is reporting this week that a Salesian priest was attacked by Hindu fundamentalists in the Indian region of Jabhua, where violence against Catholic religious is on the rise.
Fr. Stanny Ferreira, a Salesian missionary who for years has been dedicated to helping those most in need in the Indian regions of Gujarat and Alirajpur, was beaten by a group of Hindu fundamentalists last week as we was making his way to the Salesian house in Jabhua. His car was forced off the road into a ravine and he was pulled from the car and attacked.
Local police arrived in time to save Fr. Ferreira’s life, and he was taken to a safe place and treated for cuts and bruises to the head.
A few days earlier, Salesian missionaries in Jabhua found the body of a 9 year-old girl that was left on mission property. The Salesians notified the police, but Hindu fundamentalists used the incident to attack the missionaries.
In Jabhua, the man responsible for killing the girl turned himself in to police.