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| British parents arrested and bailed after trying to send money to son in Syria | British parents arrested and bailed after trying to send money to son in Syria |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The parents of the young man said to be the first white Briton to join Islamic State revealed they were arrested under the Terrorism Act after they tried to send him money to buy new glasses. | The parents of the young man said to be the first white Briton to join Islamic State revealed they were arrested under the Terrorism Act after they tried to send him money to buy new glasses. |
| Sally Lane and John Letts also said that Jack Letts, 20, suffered from severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a teenager. | Sally Lane and John Letts also said that Jack Letts, 20, suffered from severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a teenager. |
| In an emotional interview with Channel 4 News on Thursday, John Letts said he was upset and furious: “I think it’s crazy that we can’t send a penny to our ill son to help him get out or to help him in any way because we’ll be seen as supporting terrorism. | |
| Related: Jihadi Jack is a label invented by media, say worried parents | Related: Jihadi Jack is a label invented by media, say worried parents |
| “Even if you know he’s in danger or can’t see straight, what parent isn’t going to try to get their child a pair of glasses if he can’t see straight. Any parent’s going to act the way we have and feel the way we do. You wouldn’t be a parent if you didn’t try to protect your child.” | “Even if you know he’s in danger or can’t see straight, what parent isn’t going to try to get their child a pair of glasses if he can’t see straight. Any parent’s going to act the way we have and feel the way we do. You wouldn’t be a parent if you didn’t try to protect your child.” |
| The south-east counter-terrorism unit said: “We can confirm a 55-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, from Oxford, were arrested on suspicion of sending money to Syria which could be used for terrorism purposes … and were bailed until 17 February.” | The south-east counter-terrorism unit said: “We can confirm a 55-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, from Oxford, were arrested on suspicion of sending money to Syria which could be used for terrorism purposes … and were bailed until 17 February.” |
| Jack Letts, who is from Oxford, converted to Islam while in the UK and has been in Syria for two years. | Jack Letts, who is from Oxford, converted to Islam while in the UK and has been in Syria for two years. |
| Lane has previously confirmed that her son had been in Raqqa, the Syrian city where Isis is based, but denied that he was a terrorist. | |
| In the Channel 4 interview, she said: “We have directly asked him … I think if he was a fighter, Jack is the sort of person who would tell us,” she said. “And most of the people out there who are fighting, they’re quite open about the fact that they’re fighting.” | In the Channel 4 interview, she said: “We have directly asked him … I think if he was a fighter, Jack is the sort of person who would tell us,” she said. “And most of the people out there who are fighting, they’re quite open about the fact that they’re fighting.” |
| Lane said she felt completely helpless: “He’s sending desperate messages to us saying its cold or he doesn’t have food or he can’t see we know that legally we’re not allowed to help him. I just don’t understand that.” | Lane said she felt completely helpless: “He’s sending desperate messages to us saying its cold or he doesn’t have food or he can’t see we know that legally we’re not allowed to help him. I just don’t understand that.” |
| His parents say that their son’s OCD drove his study of the Qur’an. | His parents say that their son’s OCD drove his study of the Qur’an. |
| Although Jack Letts was being treated for the condition, Lane said it went “absolutely haywire” at the time of his GCSEs. “It started off he had to do everything in fours, then it became he had to do everything in eights, and then it became sixteen.” | Although Jack Letts was being treated for the condition, Lane said it went “absolutely haywire” at the time of his GCSEs. “It started off he had to do everything in fours, then it became he had to do everything in eights, and then it became sixteen.” |
| His father added: “He started to go downhill fairly quickly. We first started to notice he had some peculiar twitches and sounds he would say and he was struggling a bit more in school. He couldn’t read as well and he couldn’t focus. We also noticed that he started to do a lot of compulsive washing and things and then we realised there was something quite serious. | His father added: “He started to go downhill fairly quickly. We first started to notice he had some peculiar twitches and sounds he would say and he was struggling a bit more in school. He couldn’t read as well and he couldn’t focus. We also noticed that he started to do a lot of compulsive washing and things and then we realised there was something quite serious. |
| “It took a while for us to figure it out. But eventually we did bring him in for an assessment and they told us he had a very severe mental health disability. He had really severe obsessive compulsive disorder.” | “It took a while for us to figure it out. But eventually we did bring him in for an assessment and they told us he had a very severe mental health disability. He had really severe obsessive compulsive disorder.” |
| Both his parents fear their son may be killed in Syria. “My greatest fear is that he won’t get out of this alive,” Lane said. | Both his parents fear their son may be killed in Syria. “My greatest fear is that he won’t get out of this alive,” Lane said. |