The individual responsible for the murder of MP Sir David Amess was released from the Prevent anti-terrorism programme “too hastily”, according to a recent review.
Sir David was fatally stabbed by Islamic State (ISIS) adherent Ali Harbi Ali during a constituency meeting held at a church hall in Leigh-on-Sea in October 2021.
The perpetrator, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022, had been radicalized by ISIS propaganda and was referred to the Prevent anti-terror programme prior to the attack, although his case had been closed.
Inadequacies in managing his case led to it being “exited” prematurely, security minister Dan Jarvis informed the House of Commons on Wednesday.
After the release of a review into Prevent’s oversight of child murderer Axel Rudakubana in Southport earlier this month, Mr. Jarvis stated that a learning review regarding Prevent’s management of Sir David’s murder would be published this week to ensure transparency in the anti-terror initiative.
The review concluded:
• Ali was referred to Prevent in 2014 by his educational institution after instructors reported changes in his demeanor, appearance, and conduct, moving away from a previously “promising student with a bright future”.
• Prevent took over his case promptly, leading to his referral to Channel, a segment of the programme dedicated to deterring involvement in extremism.
• Mr. Jarvis noted that he was “exited from Prevent too swiftly”, just five months later, following an assessment of his terrorism risk as low.
• A police evaluation conducted 12 months post-exit from Prevent “also identified no concerns regarding terrorism,” resulting in the closure of the case. This assessment was delayed for an additional eight months due to a “technical issue”.
• Individuals released from Prevent are supposed to undergo reviews at six and 12 months.
• There were no referrals to Prevent in the five years leading up to the attack on Sir David.
Mr. Jarvis indicated that the review discovered issues surrounding the assessment of Ali’s vulnerabilities.
“This ultimately resulted in questionable decision-making and suboptimal management of the case,” he remarked.
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Sir David’s daughter, Katie Amess, 39, expressed appreciation for the announcement but stated that each victim inadequately served by Prevent warrants a full investigation, not solely the Southport victims.
“We likely would not be facing the same circumstances today with the recurring failures of Prevent, had someone chosen to listen to me back when my father was murdered and initiated a comprehensive public inquiry,” she conveyed to LBC.
Ms. Amess expressed her belief that if the attack in Southport had not occurred, the examination of Prevent’s management of her father’s murder would likely have remained undisclosed to the public.
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