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UK terror arrests at record level after increase in female suspects UK terror arrests at record level after increase in female suspects
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There were a record 315 arrests on suspicion of terror offences in the year to September, including a large increase in the number of women and girls detained, official figures show. A record 315 terror suspects have been arrested by police in the past year including dramatic increases in arrests of women and teenagers.
Arrests of females more than doubled on the previous year, to 50, and the number of under-18s held rose from eight to 15. There was a 31% increase in arrests for international-related terrorism, and the total number of terror arrests was up by a third. The number of women arrested for terrorism-related offences more than doubled in the 12 months to September from 21 to 50, while the number of under-18s detained reached 15 – its highest ever level.
The Home Office statistics bear out warnings about increasing numbers of women and teenagers being drawn into extremism, with many travelling to Syria to join the Islamic State with their families. The 31% rise in the total number of terror suspects arrested for international-related terrorism reflects an unprecedented effort by the police and security services to counter the threat from Islamic State and the flow of British citizens to and from Syria.
Woman and girls accounted for around one in six (16%) of all counter-terrorism arrests, a rise of seven percentage points on the previous 12 months. The Home Office quarterly bulletin says the rise in the number of women arrested as terror suspects means they now account for 16% of all such arrests. It adds that normally women or girls only make up 8% of those arrested, but one in five of all arrests of female terror suspects in Britain since the 9/11 attacks 14 years ago have happened in the last year.
The Home Office report said: “The majority of the increase in the number of women getting arrested has been linked to international-related terrorism.” “The majority of the increase in the number of women getting arrested has been linked to international-related terrorism,” the report said.
The Home Office data was released as it emerged that two-thirds of terrorism-related arrests in the UK do not result in suspects being charged, raising questions over the use of heightened police powers. The figures show the rise included a 41% increase in those who considered themselves Asian and a 25% increase in those who considered themselves to be white. The proportion of terror suspects who are British has risen sharply in recent years to 79% of those arrested this year, compared with 56% in 2001 when the statistics were first collected.
The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) said 289 people were detained on suspicion of terrorism offences in 2014, nearly 20 fewer than the previous 12 months, and 102 went on to be charged. The detailed Home Office figures for the 12 months to September 2015 show that nearly 40% (124) of those arrested have been charged, a further 22% (68) were released on bail, and 37% (115) were released without charge.
It said the proportion of arrests leading to charges was “substantially lower” for terrorism offences than for criminal offences generally, at 35% compared with 58%. The 37% arrested then released without charge is a slight increase over the previous year’s 31% but far below the 53% who were detained and released in 2013.
The Home Office said the 31% rise in terror suspects arrested was driven by a particularly large number of arrests in two quarters: October to December 2014 and April to June 2015. “The most recent quarter saw a fall in the number of arrests to around half that of the quarter before (94 down to 48),” the report said.
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The bulletin says the wide-ranging nature of terrorism investigations that the police undertake can lead to fluctuations in the number of arrests from one quarter to the next: “Furthermore, individual investigations involving multiple suspects are likely to cause an increase in the figures more than investigations involving small numbers of suspects,” it adds.
The Royal United Services Institute said 289 people were detained on suspicion of terrorism offences in 2014, nearly 20 fewer than the previous 12 months, and 102 went on to be charged.
The defence and security thinktank said the proportion of arrests leading to charges was “substantially lower” for terrorism offences than for criminal offences generally, at 35% compared with 58%.
A spokesman said: “The number of arrests is often quoted as an illustration of the scale of the threat. However, it more accurately demonstrates the scale of police activity in countering it. Charge or conviction data would be a better measure of the level of confirmed terrorist activity.”A spokesman said: “The number of arrests is often quoted as an illustration of the scale of the threat. However, it more accurately demonstrates the scale of police activity in countering it. Charge or conviction data would be a better measure of the level of confirmed terrorist activity.”
The Home Office said the first duty of the government was to keep people safe. A spokesman said: “At a time of such significant threat, it is only right that our police, security and intelligence agencies take all necessary steps to protect the British public. At the same time we are working in partnership with local groups and communities to challenge those who spread hatred and intolerance. But the Home Office bulletin says it is difficult to compare charge rates on a like-for-like basis until all the cases within a given time period have been completed.
“And this government will do everything possible to make sure they have the powers, the capabilities and resources they need.”
Jahan Mahmood, a former Home Office terrorism adviser, said the government was misrepresenting the severity of the threat in the UK, in turn putting pressure on police forces to carry out arrests.
He told Sky News: “There are simply too many arrests. I put that down to the legislation, but also because of this constant talk about the threat level being severe. That creates this atmosphere of fear. Not just fear within the community, but fear within the counterterrorism units around the country – a fear of not doing enough on time, which sometimes means they act without taking due process into consideration.
“This leads to individuals being pulled up on really very flimsy evidence, only to be later released. The implications of getting it wrong can only further radicalise some individuals, and that’s the worry.”