PUT THIS RINK STINK ON ICE
THE two people attacked by recently-released terrorist Sudesh Amman on Sunday were lucky to escape with their lives.
Now the Government has stepped in to change legislation which means dangerous jihadis like Amman will no longer be automatically eligible for release after half their sentence.
Had this happened sooner would it have made any difference to the people of Streatham in South London? Not really – they might have avoided being attacked on Sunday. But they’d only be facing exactly the same terrifying ordeal in mid-July this year. Maybe August.
Because even under the changes announced yesterday, Amman would only be kept in for two thirds of his three year, four month sentence.
He’d have just had a few more months honing his terror plans at Belmarsh jail – which has become Britain’s top finishing school for wannabe jihadis.
By summer he’d have still been walking the same streets with the same murderous intent.
Innocent shoppers would still be there, unknowingly about to become his victims.
OK, so under new rules Amman may have had to appear before a parole board for an assessment,
Only a » week ago I was congratulating Pamela Anderson on her latest marriage – to film producer Jon Peters. And already it’s over. This week, Pammy said she was taking “time apart” from her FIFTH HUSBAND to question herself on what she “wants from life”. Hmm... is the answer “Wedding cake”?
RADICALISED Sudesh Amman which I’d like to think he would have failed. After all, telling fellow inmates you want to kill an MP has to be a red flag to someone, even in this day and age.
But even then, even if he had been held to the last gasp of his sentence, he would still have been out by the end of next year. Like I said before, walking the same streets with the same murderous intent.
Our sentencing options for terror activities are simply not fit for purpose. Any purpose. Let alone the purpose of keeping the rest of us safe.
There are in fact only two options; The throw away the key option. Or the proper rehabilitation and de-radicalisation option.
So had this law change happened sooner, would it have made any difference?
The throw away the key option is simple to explain and makes us feel better inside. It’s surely just what we all want to happen to murderers who distort religion to justify killing.
The problem with it is our jails are already overflowing and many – like Belmarsh – are just propagating more terror.
Not only are extremists in these prisons able to recruit more youngsters inside – they’ve got phone and computer access which allows them to drum up followers on the outside too.
The mother of Amman this week blamed Belmarsh for driving her son to hatred. She’s conveniently forgetting why he was sent there in the first place – for sharing extremist propaganda. But it certainly appears that prison put the finishing touches to his murderous mind.
The only other option for terrorists – rehabilitation and de-radicalisation – sounds a whole lot softer and way more expensive. But in reality it’s our only hope to scalpel out the hatred that grows in deranged minds.
Yet de-radicalisation has been underfunded and our jails deprived.
This has to change. Yes, toughen up the sentences, and yes, end automatic release for terror crimes. But to really make life safer on the outside, work needs to start right now inside prisons and inside extremist minds.
Belmarsh is Britain’s top finishing school for wannabe jihadis
Caprice and Hamish