Elham Asaad Buaras
A Catholic nun who allegedly stabbed herself in Zagreb triggered a wave of online accusations wrongly blaming a Muslim migrant for the attack, Croatian police have confirmed. Sister Marija Tatjana Zrno, 35, is now facing criminal charges after investigators concluded she had fabricated the incident, despite early social-media posts claiming, without evidence, that a “migrant shouting religious slogans” was responsible.
Sister Marija, originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, told police on November 29 that an unknown assailant had attacked her near her convent, prompting a four-day inquiry. Within hours, a local man claimed on Facebook, citing a “trusted source”, that the nun had been stabbed by a migrant, fuelling speculation and anti-Muslim rhetoric across social media.
Zagreb Police later refuted the allegations entirely, stating the narrative was false and stressing that officers had determined the nun purchased the knife used in the incident from a city shop before likely injuring herself.
“Police continued with detailed checks and ultimately established that the woman had fabricated the incident,” local media reported. She was hospitalised but did not sustain life-threatening wounds.
Initial reports have suggested she may have been experiencing a mental health crisis, although this has not been confirmed.
Authorities have filed a criminal complaint with the local State Attorney’s Office. Under Croatian law, penalties for filing a false police report vary and can depend on an individual’s mental health. Offenders may face a fine or up to three years’ imprisonment. Wasting police time, a lesser offence, carries a shorter sentence or financial penalty.
The fabricated claims about a migrant attacker spread widely, prompting a surge of xenophobic posts. One account falsely claimed the nun had died, writing: “Where are the headlines? Where are the protests?… Because it isn’t ‘fashionable’ to care about Christian lives.”
Another account linked to far-right activist Tommy Robinson alleged the media was ignoring the incident “for the sake of diversity.”
Despite police clarifications, many of the incendiary posts targeting migrants and Muslims remain online.
Feature photo: Sister Marija Tatjana Zrno, whose false report of an attack sparked days of online speculation and anti-migrant claims. (Credit: Facebook)
