Minister Stands by Investigation Into 13 Year Old, Autistic Boy Accused of Terror Offences

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has defended the Australian Federal Police (AFP) over allegations it “enticed” an autistic 13-year-old boy into radical extremism by encouraging his “fixation” with Islamic State. Speaking on ABC Radio National on Feb. 20, the minister said: “I am 100 percent supportive of the AFP, [they are] incredible people that work … everyday to protect our community. What I would say is that this case does reflect what is a broader and really concerning issue, which is the increasing prevalence of young people in our caseload … in regard to violent extremism. “We are seeing people who are … 12, 13, 14, 15 years old, largely radicalising themselves online, getting into networks that [are] leading them into violence, and we are taking a really close look at the moment, as a government, about how we can prevent these instances ending up in the hands of police. Because once it gets to that point, we have reached a really problematic stage.”...