Coroner in call for new terror propaganda law
THE Chief Coroner has called for tough new laws to tackle extremist propaganda in the wake of the London Bridge terror attack.
Mark Lucraft QC said current legislation means it may be impossible for police or MI5 to act against fanatics even when “the material is of the most offensive and shocking character”.
Eight people were killed and 48 others seriously injured when terrorists used a hired van to plough into pedestrians on London Bridge before attacking people at random around Borough Market on June 3, 2017.
Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, were lawfully killed after they were shot dead by armed police, an inquest jury found.
A separate inquest concluded that Xavier Thomas, 45, Chrissy Archibald, 30, Sara Zelenak, 21, James McMullan, 32, Kirsty Boden, 28, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were unlawfully killed.
Families of the victims have
spoken of “missed opportunities” to prevent the atrocity and criticised the “slow response” of London Ambulance Service, which meant others had to step in to give aid to casualties.
The coroner highlighted 18
“matters of concern” in a report published yesterday, which said “there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken”.
Butt, who was a subject of interest (SOI) in an active MI5 investigation at the time of the attack, had looked at extremist material online in the months and years leading up to it, including propaganda for so-called Islamic State, violent images and sermons from extremist preachers.
The coroner suggested new laws could be introduced to tackle extremist material in the same way that legislation has criminalised the most offensive pornography.
The inquest heard that police and MI5 did not recognise the threat posed by ringleader Butt, despite his association with Islamic State fanatic Anjem Choudary.
The attack came three months after 52-year-old Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge with a car before stabbing police officer Keith Palmer to death. Questions were raised about why there were no security measures in place to prevent vehicles being used as weapons on London Bridge.