A Croatian priest beat a member of his parish, threatened others with a rifle and crashed his car in a night of drunken rage, press reported on Tuesday.
After a quarrel in a restaurant overnight on Saturday in the central town of Slunj, Josip Stefancic punched a guest in the face, cutting his eye, the Vecernji List daily reported.
The priest, known in his parish as the Sheriff, then took a rifle and threatened other guests before fleeing in his car and crashing into a tree. When police arrived at the scene he refused a breathalyser test.
Police have pressed several charges.
“I admit that I have made a mistake. However, everyone makes mistakes, politicians and even the pope,” said Stefancic, who was, according to press reports, already involved in a series of similar incidents.
The Slunj region’s bishop, Mile Bogovic, explained that the priest’s violent behaviour was provoked by alcohol.
“Stefancic did not act alone. The wine was with him,” Bogovic said.
Catholic priests strongly protested Croatia’s new zero-tolerance drink-driving law, adopted earlier this year, arguing that they have to imbibe wine as part of their work.
Almost 88% of Croatia’s 4,4-million people are Roman Catholics. — AFP