Source : Perth Now news
A teenage girl has been charged with terrorism-related offences, with police alleging the child plotted a mass casualty event at a Darwin school with another boy.
Police say she is the second teenager to be charged with terrorism-related offences in the Northern Territory and allege she collected material and engaged in online discussions about terrorist acts.
A 15-year-old boy was charged with terrorism-related offences last month. His matter remains before the court.
In a statement, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) said officers searched a second Darwin home on Monday and seized clothing, documents, electronic devices and weapons.
Police allege the seized items contained material and conversations about mixed ideological motivation and mass casualty events at schools.
A girl, 15, was arrested and charged with collecting or making documents likely to facilitate terrorist acts.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said youth radicalisation may be the greatest challenge Australia was facing.
“In the current climate of fraying social harmony, we are seeing more disengaged, confused, resentful and sometimes violent young people,” she said.
“It is also coming at a time when many protective factors, such as support like family, sport, school, faith leaders, teachers, are eroding or are not there at all. These are the reinforcements that cocoon our young people from harm.”
Commissioner Barrett said when young people were charged with serious crimes it was because one or more protective factors were missing, but it was not always the case.
“Some young people, impressionable and curious, are just being manipulated, and a lot of the time, it’s via social media,” she said.
“Many youths want answers about contentious or polarising issues.
“So instead of asking a parent, teacher or coach, they look for answers online and are often siphoned to sites that peddle mis(information) and disinformation, or to chat groups or platforms that are violent, racist or are misogynist.”
She said the number of young people being investigated by the Joint Counter Terrorism Teams was increasing and it was not a problem law enforcement could solve on its own.
“If it used to take a village to raise a child, because of advances in technology, it now takes a country to keep them safe,” she said.
“This requires a whole-of-society effort.”
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole said the identification of a second young person during the investigation was deeply concerning.
“These are serious allegations and they reinforce why we cannot afford to be complacent about violent extremism or the influences young people can encounter online,” he said.
“I understand that the involvement of another young person may cause concern in the community.
“I want to be clear that people should be alert, not alarmed.”
Police urged anyone that suspected someone was being radicalised to call the National Security Hotline or Crime Stoppers.
