Get RNS’ thoughtful, essential religion reporting every morning. Sign up for free!

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A man was charged with lying about being injured during the massacre of 15 people at a Sydney Hanukkah celebration last year in a bid to gain financial compensation for victims of crime, and on Wednesday the prosecution of an alleged perpetrator was postponed until next year.

A 46-year-old man was charged in Sydney on Tuesday with publishing misleading material to obtain financial advantage and with false representation resulting in a police investigation, a police statement said on Wednesday.

The man, whose name has not been made public, claimed to have been wounded at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, 2025, when two gunmen opened fire on a crowd, killing 15 people aged 10 to 87 and wounding around 40 people.

Police released the fraud suspect on bail to appear in a Sydney court on Nov.…