London schoolgirl 'radicalised' by parents' IS propaganda must be removed from home, judge rules

Hearing: the Royal Courts of Justice (Picture: Rex Features)
Michael Jones/Getty
22 August 2015
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An east London schoolgirl who was "radicalised" by Islamic State propaganda provided by her "deceitful parents" must be removed from her home for her own safety, a judge has said.

The "intelligent, educated, ambitious" 16-year-old from Tower Hamlets, who has already attempted to travel to Syria to become a "jihadi bride", has been bombarded with pictures of beheadings, material on bomb making and how jihadists should "hide" their identity, the High Court heard.

Mr Justice Hayden, sitting at the court in London, said the girl, who can only be referred to as "B", was suffering "psychological and emotional harm" through exposure to extremism of a kind similar to that seen in sex abuse cases.

He said B was one of a number of cases within the borough where "intelligent young girls - highly motivated academically" had been "captured and seduced by the belief that travelling to Syria to become what are known as jihadi brides is a somewhat romantic and honourable path for them and their families".

He said that, after B was removed from a flight to Turkey in December 2014 and made a ward of court, her parents had appeared to co-operate with police and social workers to stop her and her siblings accessing online terrorist propaganda.

But in June this year counter-terrorism officers carried out a protracted search of the family home and discovered "a plethora of electronic devices", including those belonging to the father, containing Islamic State material which showed the parents had carried out "a consummately successful deception" of the authorities.

Commenting on the girl's welfare, the judge said: "I can see no way in which her psychological, emotional and intellectual integrity can be protected by her remaining in this household.

"The farrago of sophisticated dishonesty of the parents makes this entirely unsustainable."

Drawing an analogy with sex abuse cases, the judge added: "The violation contemplated here is not of the body but it is of the mind.

"It is every bit as insidious - and I do not say that lightly - as it involves harm of a similar magnitude."

The girl has requested that she be allowed to remain at home, even if that means being tagged, but the judge ruled yesterday that only a "safe and neutral environment" free from the "powerful and pernicious influences" of jihadi propaganda could now protect the teenager's well being.

He said B, who had been taught at home, had expressed wishes to study medicine at university and become a doctor and there was no reason to believe she would not fulfil that ambition following outstanding GCSE results.

He described the case as "a tragedy for a promising young woman".

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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