Australian police have charged a 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing a bishop and a priest with a terrorism offense. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment.

A 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing two clerics during a church service in the eastern Australian city of Sydney has been charged with committing a terrorist offense.

The boy, who is in hospital after treatment for injuries, spoke about the Prophet Muhammad having been insulted after he stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and the Reverend Isaac Royel at an Assyrian Orthodox service on Monday.

The charge of terrorism means police will gain more powers to investigate whether the suspect acted alone or as part of a wider network.

The boy’s family has previously said he had perhaps displayed “anger management and behavioral issues” and a “short fuse” in the past but had shown no signs of being radicalized.