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| New criminal offence to target violence-obsessed suspects before they attack | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A powerful new criminal offence to target suspects who are found to be preparing mass killings will ensure their plotting is taken as seriously as terrorism, the home secretary says. | |
| Yvette Cooper said the criminal justice system had to be given new tools to respond to violence-fixated individuals who are not motivated by a particular ideology, in the wake of the Southport attack last year. | Yvette Cooper said the criminal justice system had to be given new tools to respond to violence-fixated individuals who are not motivated by a particular ideology, in the wake of the Southport attack last year. |
| Terror suspects who take steps towards an attack can be jailed for life, even if their plans are not fully formed. | Terror suspects who take steps towards an attack can be jailed for life, even if their plans are not fully formed. |
| Cooper told the BBC that the government will "close the gap" between such offenders and lone, violence-obsessed individuals by giving police the power to apprehend them long before they can act. | Cooper told the BBC that the government will "close the gap" between such offenders and lone, violence-obsessed individuals by giving police the power to apprehend them long before they can act. |
| Axel Rudakubana is serving a life sentence for murdering three girls when he attacked a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport almost a year ago. | Axel Rudakubana is serving a life sentence for murdering three girls when he attacked a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport almost a year ago. |
| Eight others girls were seriously injured, along with two adults who tried to stop the killer. | Eight others girls were seriously injured, along with two adults who tried to stop the killer. |
| Had police found he had been researching a target prior to the attack, they could not have arrested and charged him with a serious offence because he had no ideological motive linked to the definition of terrorism. | Had police found he had been researching a target prior to the attack, they could not have arrested and charged him with a serious offence because he had no ideological motive linked to the definition of terrorism. |
| Speaking to BBC Radio 4's State of Terror series, which charts the response to violent extremism over the 20 years since the 7/7 bombings, Cooper said the police will get the power to prevent such individuals who do not have a clear ideology, in the same way they can with terror suspects. | Speaking to BBC Radio 4's State of Terror series, which charts the response to violent extremism over the 20 years since the 7/7 bombings, Cooper said the police will get the power to prevent such individuals who do not have a clear ideology, in the same way they can with terror suspects. |
| Yvette Cooper said the government would "tighten" the law so planning a mass attack be "taken as seriously as terrorism" | Yvette Cooper said the government would "tighten" the law so planning a mass attack be "taken as seriously as terrorism" |
| "There is a gap in the law around the planning of mass attacks that can be just as serious [as terrorism] in their implications for communities, their impact, the devastation that they can cause and the seriousness of the crime," she said. | "There is a gap in the law around the planning of mass attacks that can be just as serious [as terrorism] in their implications for communities, their impact, the devastation that they can cause and the seriousness of the crime," she said. |
| "We will tighten legislation so that that is taken as seriously as terrorism." | "We will tighten legislation so that that is taken as seriously as terrorism." |
| Cooper said the plan - which was briefly announced in March but not fleshed out until now - was for the new law to be similar to the exceptionally serious crime of preparing for acts of terrorism. | Cooper said the plan - which was briefly announced in March but not fleshed out until now - was for the new law to be similar to the exceptionally serious crime of preparing for acts of terrorism. |
| This legislation, brought in after the 2005 London bombings, is a vital counter-extremism tool that has jailed dozens of suspects. | This legislation, brought in after the 2005 London bombings, is a vital counter-extremism tool that has jailed dozens of suspects. |
| It allows the police to arrest a terror suspect for the steps they take to prepare for an attack - such as researching a target. | It allows the police to arrest a terror suspect for the steps they take to prepare for an attack - such as researching a target. |
| But it stipulates that there must also be evidence the preparation is linked to an ideological cause, such as support of a group banned under terrorism laws. | But it stipulates that there must also be evidence the preparation is linked to an ideological cause, such as support of a group banned under terrorism laws. |
| Nicholas Prosper was jailed for murdering his family - but was also researching a school attack | Nicholas Prosper was jailed for murdering his family - but was also researching a school attack |
| The planned non-terror offence would apply to a far wider range of scenarios, including the activity of individuals like Nicholas Prosper. He had been planning a mass school shooting before he was apprehended for murdering his family. | The planned non-terror offence would apply to a far wider range of scenarios, including the activity of individuals like Nicholas Prosper. He had been planning a mass school shooting before he was apprehended for murdering his family. |
| Cooper said: "We've seen cases of growing numbers of teenagers potentially radicalising themselves online and seeing all kinds of extremist material online in their bedrooms. | Cooper said: "We've seen cases of growing numbers of teenagers potentially radicalising themselves online and seeing all kinds of extremist material online in their bedrooms. |
| "They're seeing a really distorted and warped online world. | "They're seeing a really distorted and warped online world. |
| "We have to make sure that that the systems can respond while not taking our eye off the ball of the more long-standing ideological threats." | "We have to make sure that that the systems can respond while not taking our eye off the ball of the more long-standing ideological threats." |
| State of Terror continues on Monday on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. | State of Terror continues on Monday on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. |