The man suspected of carrying out a knife attack in north London was previously referred to the government’s counter-extremism programme, Prevent, police have confirmed.
The 45-year-old was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s, home secretary Shabana Mahmood said earlier on Thursday.
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the force said: “Given the investigation remains ongoing, we will not be providing any further information in respect of this matter at this time and we remain focused on securing justice for the victims of this attack.”
Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has added that the suspect had a history of violence and mental health issues.
Authorities across the country have begun stepping up patrols in response to the double stabbing that saw two Jewish men – Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, named locally as Moshe Shine – taken to hospital.
The suspect was detained and arrested by officers in Golders Green following the suspected terror attack. He is a British citizen, police have said.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the criminal justice response to the attack in north London must be “swift, agile and visible” as extra funding was announced to increase security for Jewish communities.
The government has confirmed that a further £25 million will be invested to boost police protections around synagogues, schools and community centres, taking the total commitment this year to £58 million.
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The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the suspect was known to Prevent and that a referral had been made in 2020 which was closed in the same year.
Here’s everything you need to know about the UK’s anti-terror programme:
What is Prevent?
The Prevent programme is a central part of the Home Office’s counter-terrorism strategy. Its central aim is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism through early intervention. It also extends to supporting the rehabilitation and disengagement of those already involved in terrorism.
It’s three main objectives are:
- Tackle the ideological causes of terrorism
- Intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation
- Enable people who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate
The programme comprises a multi-agency approach, with duties extending to many bodies. Legislation introduced in 2015 introduced the ‘Prevent Duty,’ requiring certain sectors to follow Prevent safeguarding policies by law. This includes several specific authorities such as schools, colleges, universities, health, local authorities, police, and prisons.
Local authorities oversee the delivery of the Prevent programme locally. Anyone can refer themselves or someone they know to Prevent if they are concerned that they are susceptible to radicalisation or might be at risk of becoming involved in terrorism or supporting terrorism.
Referrals can be made to a number of bodies with the Prevent duty, but will be handled by specialist officers in the local police force. If a referred person is found to represent a security threat, they should be investigated further under current guidance. In the year to March 2024, there were 6,922 referrals to Prevent.
The Prevent programme is the first of four steps in the government’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST. Revised over the years, the strategy was first created in 2003 in as an immediate response to 9/11. The strategy comprises are ‘four Ps,’ and alongside Prevent there is:
- Pursue – aiming to stop terrorist attacks from happening in the UK or against the UK overseas
- Protect – aiming to reduce the UK’s vulnerabilities to terrorist threats
- Prepare – aiming to mitigate the impacts of terrorist attacks and ensuring an effective, coordinate response and recovery process
