Prevent scheme needs digital overhaul to focus on safeguarding

The Prevent scheme aimed at stepping in before extremists carry out attacks needs to be updated for the digital world and to focus more on those fascinated by violence, a review has found.

A shift away from the primary goal of thwarting those driven by ideology is the key theme of a new report presented to the UK government.

The Prevent programme came under scrutiny in the wake of the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport by Axel Rudakubana last year.

Interim Independent Prevent Commissioner, David Anderson, was asked to look at that case and the ongoing demands for an inquiry into the case of Ali Harbi Ali, who assassinated the MP Sir David Amess in 2021, by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

His brief was to ensure lessons from the handling of these cases have been learnt, assess whether wider changes to Prevent have been implemented effectively and identify whether further changes are needed.

Rudakubana was referred three times to Prevent between 2019 and 2021, when he was 13 and 14, without his case ever reaching Channel, a part of the scheme that looks at the most extreme cases, said Mr Anderson, who is a lawyer.

Had this happened, he might have been offered a mentor who could have made a difference. He was not sentenced as a terrorist, because there was no evidence of an ideological purpose for his actions.

But even as a 14 year old, he was showing signs of an interest in terrorism, and of the disturbed and violent characteristics that would later lead him to commit his crimes.

Harbi Ali was first referred to Prevent, as a teenager in 2014 amid concerns he was being drawn towards extreme Islamist ideology. He was one of small proportion of the thousands referred to Prevent who are then put on its Channel programme for intensive support.

Mr Anderson found Harbi Ali was put into Channel in 2014 when he was 18, but the programme of mentoring that was planned for him was allowed to peter out when it had hardly begun. He was meant to have seven mentoring sessions but only one took place.

He went on to stab Mr Amess to death as the MP held a constituency surgery in 2021, in what was classed as a terrorist attack, and the Amess family have been calling for a public inquiry into what was known about his killer.

"When Prevent is offered a chance and fails to take it, it is vital that all possible lessons are learned," Mr Anderson said.

He added "a huge amount of effort" has gone into improving Prevent since the murder of Mr Amess and a "blizzard of further initiatives has followed the Southport murders of last summer".

“But more needs to be done. It has to be clear that people with a fascination with extreme violence can be suitable subjects for Prevent, even when they have no discernible ideology.

"Prevent needs to up its game in the online world, where most radicalisation now takes place. It needs to get better at information-sharing, and be more open with the public to gain the trust on which it depends.

"In the longer term, I believe that Prevent could work better as part of a comprehensive violence prevention and safeguarding strategy.”

He commended the teachers who spotted Rudakubana were "on a dangerous path, years before their crimes were committed" but "in neither case did Prevent do what was needed to engage with them and protect the public".

Mr Anderson also recommended ore transparency is needed to the public about the structures, systems and statistics of Prevent. Information-sharing and engagement should be improved.

Prevent’s Standards and Complaints Unit should be assessed, along with its possible need for statutory powers.

In response, Ms Cooper said the government will expand the remit of ensure frontline public sector workers understand that those “fascinated with extreme violence or mass casualty attacks” should be referred to Prevent.

The Home Secretary said there will be improved training for those involved with Prevent, frontline workers and NGOs which will help transparency and information sharing.

The government will also work with technology companies to find ways of identifying and supporting susceptible people online. This will include developing new capabilities to better equip Prevent to manage online radicalisation risks.

The review of Prevent follows one previously undertaken by William Shawcross, which found British government needs a renewed focus on Islamist extremism.

In January 2019, the government announced a review of the programme after some Muslim leaders claimed they were being unfairly targeted and former charities regulator Mr Shawcross was appointed to lead the review in 2021.

In the report, Mr Shawcross said Prevent had helped some people disengage from terrorism.

But he added: "Despite this, all too often those who commit terrorist acts in this country have been previously referred to Prevent.”

"Prevent's first objective - to tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism - is not being sufficiently met. Prevent is not doing enough to counter non-violent Islamist extremism."

But last year Sir William said ministers had “ignored” some of his key recommendations” and the government should be paying "much more attention to the Hamas support network" in the UK, especially given the events of October 7, he warned.