Teen terror accused has smarts of 8yo: court
Written by admin on August 7, 2024
A teen boy charged with a sweep of serious terror allegations has the comprehension level of an eight-year-old child and will live with his mother on bail as youth justice officers work to pull him away from his alleged radicalism.
South Australian counter-terrorism police arrested the 14-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, on July 25 for allegedly possessing extremist material and explosive instructions.
At the boy’s first court appearance in late July, the court was told he allegedly accessed the material while at school.
On Wednesday, Adelaide Youth Court was told the boy had the comprehension level of a student in year 3, which encompasses children aged between seven and eight.
The boy’s defence counsel asked magistrate Alison Adair to grant the boy home detention bail with his mother, arguing strict conditions could mitigate the safety risk to the community while ensuring he had access to support.
“It is appropriate for (the boy) to be released on full home detention bail,” she said.
“Notwithstanding the very serious nature of these allegations, (the boy) does not have any previous involvement with youth justice.”
“Granting bail with home detention conditions would ensure there is of course safety for the community and (the boy) has access to those supports outlined in the report.”
The boy’s defence lawyer also noted that since the boy had gone into custody, “there have been a number of matters identified, which perhaps are relevant to ultimately how these matters may progress”.
The court was told his mother was “supportive” of the boy returning home.
Prosecutors asked Ms Adair to prohibit access to any electronic device with “internet capabilities”.
Ms Adair granted the boy bail but accepted the prosecution’s request and prohibited the boy from possessing or accessing any electronic device connected to the internet.
The boy must also remain at home unless permitted to leave, she said, and he would be under the supervision of youth justice officers.
He will also be fitted with an electronic monitor.
The boy, who appeared in court via video link, sat quietly throughout the hearing.
The boy’s appearance comes as Australia’s terror threat level is raised from “possible” to “probable”.
A probable level means there is a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning in the next 12 months, ASIO says.
“More Australians are being radicalised and radicalised more quickly,” ASIO boss Mike Burgess said on Monday.
“More Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and more Australians are willing to use violence to advance their cause.”
Mr Burgess also warned there had been a “resurgence” in the number of minors embracing extremist ideas.
“Extremist ideologies, conspiracies and misinformation are flourishing in the online ecosystem and young Australians are particularly vulnerable,” he said.
