Man mobbed to death

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: A man was beaten to death after attending a mass at a Roman Catholic church, apparently because he had been seen refusing to eat the host during holy communion.

Hendrikus Leto died in hospital on Sunday. Both the reverend and, later, local security forces had sought to protect Hendrikus from the angry mob.

Witnesses said Hendrikus was invited to the home of Rev. Metak after the mass in an effort to protect him from the mob, which then pelted the house with stones. Security forces failed to contain the anger of the crowd, which eventually dragged Hendrikus from the house, beating and kicking him.

Soldiers managed to get Hendrikus away from his attackers and rushed him to hospital. But he later died from his injuries. (yac/emb)