Female Minister Robbed on Way to Service
A 60-year-old female church minister has been attacked and robbed as she prepared to give service in her Methodist Church.
The attack happened as Rev. Christine Leech was arriving at Rhydings Methodist Church in Lancashire, England to give her evening service.
Rev. Leech, who was fully dressed in her ministerial attire, was confronted by a hooded man who demanded she hand over her bag. Rev. Leech resolutely refused and attempted to carry on walking.
However, the attacker followed and tried to grab the bag from the church leader. She once again refused to give her bag over and fought to keep hold of her bag.
The man then used his greater strength to overpower the 60-year-old and dragged her along the pathway as he snatched the bag from her grasp.
In the struggle Rev. Leech sustained a bloody nose and a number of facial injuries.
According to The Daily Mail newspaper, Rev. Leech said, “I had my collar on and was wearing a cloth. It was obvious I was a minister, but whether he realised I don’t know. Being a Christian doesn’t mean I will condone things like that. If someone does that they must face up to the consequences.”
A local police detective sergeant explained that it was being treated as an opportunistic crime, and that it was not believed that Rev. Leech was targeted for her Christian connections.
