A review into the Prevent programme's handling of Ali Harbi Ali, the man who murdered Conservative MP Sir David Amess, has found that he was released from the programme 'too quickly'. The review identified several critical shortcomings in the management and handling of Ali's case, including a problematic and outdated assessment of his vulnerabilities, a lack of clarity in decision-making, and poor communication between different agencies.
The man who murdered Conservative MP Sir David Amess was released from the Prevent anti-terror programme 'too quickly', a review has concluded. Sir David was fatally stabbed by Islamic State (ISIS) supporter Ali Harbi Ali during a constituency surgery at a church hall in Leigh-on-Sea in October 2021. The perpetrator, who was sentenced to whole life imprisonment, had been radicalized by ISIS propaganda and had been referred to the Prevent anti-terror program before the attack.
While the Prevent policy and guidance at the time were 'mostly followed', security minister Dan Jarvis informed the House of Commons on Wednesday that Ali's case was 'exited too quickly'. This admission follows the publication of a review into Prevent's handling of Southport child killer Axel Rudakubana earlier this month. Mr Jarvis pledged a Prevent learning review into Sir David's killing this week, emphasizing transparency regarding the anti-terror program. Matt Juke, head of counter-terrorism policing, stated that it is evident the management and handling of Ali's case by Prevent 'should have been better' and stressed the importance of acting upon the review 'so that other families are spared the pain felt by the loved ones of Sir David'. The review revealed several critical shortcomings in Ali's case. It noted that Ali was referred to Prevent in 2014 by his school after teachers observed a drastic change in his demeanor, appearance, and behavior. He transitioned from a 'engaging student with a bright future' aspiring to be a doctor to someone failing his A-levels and expressing a desire to relocate to a 'more Islamic state' due to his inability to coexist among 'unbelievers'.Prevent promptly took on his case, referring him to Channel, a component of the program aimed at preventing involvement in extremism. However, Ali was 'exited from Prevent too quickly', just five months later, after his terrorism risk was assessed as low. A police review conducted a year after his release from Prevent 'also found no terrorism concerns', leading to the case's closure. This closure was delayed by eight more months due to an 'IT issue'. Notably, individuals released from Prevent are expected to have reviews at six and 12 months, a protocol that was not adhered to in Ali's case. The review identified that the assessment of Ali's vulnerabilities 'was problematic and outdated' as it deviated from the proper procedure. This deviation resulted in 'questionable decision-making and sub-optimal handling of the case'. Ali's symptoms were prioritized over addressing the root causes of his vulnerabilities, and the provided support failed to tackle these underlying issues. Record-keeping for decisions, actions, and rationale was 'problematic, disjointed, and lacked clarity'. The rationale for certain decisions was 'not explicit'. Ali's school was excluded from discussions aimed at determining risk and providing appropriate support, only being contacted once to be informed that 'the matter was being dealt with'. Furthermore, a miscommunication led to only one intervention session being provided instead of the scheduled two. The review concluded that most of the failures in Ali's case would not be replicated today due to significantly clearer guidance and requirements. It emphasized that referrers, in Ali's case, his school, are now kept informed and engaged, with distinct roles assigned to different departments and agencies, not just the police. The review also highlighted that record-keeping guidelines are clearer, and guidance for detecting underlying vulnerabilities has evolved, which would have made a difference in Ali's case
Prevent Terrorism Sir David Amess Ali Harbi Ali Review Security Counter-Terrorism
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