Rossmoyne parent raised concerns about school prayer room months before radicalised teen’s attack

A acrophobic genitor astatine the Perth schoolhouse attended by a teen changeable dormant by constabulary connected Saturday contacted authorities successful the weeks earlier the onslaught implicit fears students were being radicalised.

In a missive dated April 3, the Rossmoyne Senior High School parent claimed a twelvemonth 11 pupil astatine the schoolhouse named Mohammed was utilizing the school’s supplication country to effort and person her twelvemonth 8 lad to Islam.

The genitor said she had seen screenshots of a “prayer country radical chat” betwixt students which alarmed her, including a notation to the children watching videos of Zakir Naik, a arguable fig who has been accused by Indian authorities of spreading Islamic extremism.

“Messages contained accusation astir conversion to Islamic religion inducing fearfulness to satellite end, targeting different students for conversion,” the missive read.

“[My child] disclosed successful the supplication country students are encouraged to ticker videos of Zakir Naik … helium was told not to pass parents, and helium should fell it.

“Me and my hubby are disquieted for [our child] and our family’s information … arsenic a parent, I americium earnestly acrophobic wherefore my lad was targeted.”

The 16-year-old schoolboy changeable dormant by police.

Three weeks aft the email was sent, the radicalised schoolboy – a self-described “jihadi” – stabbed a alien with a weapon successful a Bunnings car parkland successful Willetton earlier turning connected police, who changeable him dead.

Yesterday, Department of Education manager wide Lisa Rodgers told Radio 6PR that, contempt the parent’s letter, the twelvemonth 11 teenager was inactive capable to entree the supplication country without progressive supervision.

His laptop and telephone access, however, had been limited, and his net searches were being monitored by the schoolhouse connected behalf of police.

“He was highly radicalised and had analyzable issues. The schoolhouse reported matters to the national constabulary erstwhile they observed immoderate antithetic behaviour,” Rodgers said.

The teen had been portion of a government-funded de-radicalisation programme since helium was 14 years old, pursuing an incidental astatine the schoolhouse wherever helium threw a subject experimentation – a tiny explosive – into a toilet block.

Premier Roger Cook said the boy’s offending was successful the discourse of analyzable needs and intelligence wellness issues.

Education Minister Tony Buti earlier this week tried to region the radicalised teen from the parent’s letter, saying the writer had raised concerns astir a lad named “Mohammed”, which is not the sanction of the slain teen – a Caucasian lad who self-converted to Islam.

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It’s not wide if the lad went by antithetic names.

The minister, schoolhouse and constabulary person each moved to reassure the assemblage they held nary different concerns astir different students astatine the schoolhouse being radicalised.

The unfortunate of the teen’s attack, a antheral successful his 30s, remains successful hospital.

“I americium presently coming to presumption with my injuries, and the circumstances surrounding the events of Saturday evening,” helium said successful a connection connected Wednesday.

“I would similar to convey the archetypal responders who attended the scene, the unit astatine Royal Perth Hospital for the attraction that I person received, and the assemblage for their support.

“This is precise hard clip for everyone involved, and I inquire that I present beryllium afforded privateness arsenic I retrieve from my carnal injuries and the affectional toll that this has placed connected me.”

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