Repeating calls for a public inquiry into how Ali was dealt with, Ms Firth said: “The Prevent Learning Review while welcome, failed to compare what Prevent did against what the criminal trial revealed about the extent of Ali Harbi Ali’s radicalisation – i.e.
Anna Firth, who represented Southend West, said a review of how terrorist murderer Ali Harbi Ali was dealt with under Prevent and Channel failed to compare what police officers and local authority staff found about the teenager, and the extremist beliefs revealed at his criminal trial.
Security minister Dan Jarvis told MPs on Wednesday of Ali’s case: “The reviewer found that from the material reviewed, the assessment in terms of the perpetrator’s vulnerabilities was problematic, and this ultimately led to questionable decision making and sub-optimal handling of the case during the time he was engaged with Prevent and Channel.
Mr Jarvis told the Commons that the learning review found six issues, including “problematic” record keeping; the rationale for certain decisions not being explained; responsibilities between police and the local authority being blurred; an outdated tool for identifying vulnerability to radicalisation being used; a failure to involve the school who made the referral; and only one intervention session being provided instead of two.
“The reviewer ultimately found that while Prevent policy and guidance at the time was mostly followed, the case was exited from Prevent too quickly.”.
