Croatian nun allegedly staged self-stabbing to accuse fictional attacker

A 35-year-old nun in Croatia, who initially claimed she had been stabbed in a public attack, has been found to have inflicted the wounds on herself, according to police. The Catholic sister, a religious studies teacher at a primary school and an enthusiastic football supporter, was hospitalized on Friday with minor knife injuries to her abdomen.

She had told authorities that an unknown man attacked her on the streets of Zagreb. Her account quickly spread on social media, with allegations that a migrant had carried out the stabbing while shouting religious slogans. This fueled widespread anti-migrant sentiment online and calls for mass deportations. The story was amplified on X by an account associated with far-right activist Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), which accused mainstream media of ignoring the incident for diversity reasons.

Conservative Croatian MP Marijana Petir commented on X, describing the alleged assault as an attack on the cultural and Christian values of Croatia and Europe.

However, after further investigation, police became skeptical of the nuns story. They determined that she had purchased a knife in Zagreb and deliberately wounded herself. On Tuesday, authorities confirmed that she had filed a false report about an attack by an unknown assailant. A complaint for falsely reporting a crime is now being prepared against her.

Zagreb police stated: Unverified and inaccurate allegations about an attack on a nun have been circulated in some media outlets. These claims have been disproven through criminal investigation. Police did not provide an explanation for the nuns actions, although Croatian media reported she had a history of mental health challenges.

The incident has raised questions about why her claims were widely reported before verification. Sandra Markovi, a Croatian constitutional and human rights expert, noted that doubts about the nuns mental state and inconsistencies in her story emerged shortly after the initial reports. She emphasized that such situations require careful consideration.

The controversy unfolded during heightened debate in Croatia over the resurgence of far-right movements. Concerns have been raised about attacks on ethnic Serbs and efforts to rehabilitate the fascist Ustasha regime from World War II, which persecuted Serbs, Jews, Roma, and anti-fascist Croats. Recent nationalist events, including concerts featuring singer Marko Thompson Perkovi, who referenced Ustasha slogans, have drawn criticism from human rights organizations for glorifying the fascist era.

Author: Sophia Brooks