The ‘jihadi’ aged three
Anti-terror unit is told family’s behaviour could radicalise child
A THREE-YEAR- OLD is among almost 1,000 children identified as potential Islamic extremists by counter-terrorism officials.
The toddler, who lives in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, was being raised in a family that displayed what is described as ‘alarming behaviour’.
The youngsters are all thought to be at risk of radicalisation, and have been referred to the Government’s counter- extremism programme Channel, figures show.
The scheme, which was expanded nationally in April 2012, brings together social workers, police, medical staff and others who try to spot those who are vulnerable to, or engaged in, extremism.
Its aim is to divert them away from potential violence through early intervention as part of the Government’s wider Prevent programme. Although most counter-extremism schemes focus on older children and adults, primary or nursery age youngsters can also be referred because of concerns about the conduct of their families.
Police have used the family courts 30 times to bring care proceedings to protect young children. Measures include removing the children’s passports.
The programme’s effectiveness was criticised last week when a 15-year-old schoolboy admitted in court to inciting Australian teenagers to carry out a beheading.
It emerged that the boy, who is Britain’s youngest terrorist, was placed on Channel two years ago. Since it began, more than 4,000 adults and children have been flagged up to the Prevent unit.
The disturbing tally shows the scale of the security challenge for police and intelligence agencies.
Experts fear the number of children being identified will continue to rise because of the explosion of Islamic State propaganda on the internet. Between April 2012 and June 2014 a total of 834 under 18- year- olds were reported to Channel. Around one in ten of these were under the age of 12, according to figures from the National Police Chiefs Council.
The figures indicate that referrals are increasing every year.
A total of 290 children were reported in its first year of existence, compared with 423 the following year. Children and adults are typically referred to the programme by teachers, social workers, health professionals or community leaders.
About one in f i ve cases are deemed to require an intensive one-to-one mentoring programme to challenge violent views by ‘deprogramming and rewiring’ an individual. However, Prevent has
‘Drawn into violent extremism’
faced criticism in recent months, with Dal Babu, a Muslim former police chief superintendent, calling it a ‘toxic brand’.
Mizanur Rahman, who was sent on the programme, claimed he spent most of his time on it playing pool. It al s o emerged t hat Brusthom Ziamani, who was jailed for 22 years for hatching a plot to behead a British soldier, had been spoken to by Prevent officers while on bail but refused to engage with them.
Security minister John Hayes said: ‘As a country, we have a duty to challenge, at every turn, the twisted narrative that has corrupted some of our vulnerable young people.’