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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Sydney teenager charged with Anzac Day terrorism plot pleads not guilty | Sydney teenager charged with Anzac Day terrorism plot pleads not guilty |
| (4 months later) | |
| A 16-year-old western Sydney boy has pleaded not guilty to trying to source a gun for use in an Anzac Day terrorist attack. | A 16-year-old western Sydney boy has pleaded not guilty to trying to source a gun for use in an Anzac Day terrorist attack. |
| The Auburn teenager, who cannot be named, was arrested on Sunday afternoon after police reportedly intercepted encrypted messages they allege show the boy was trying to obtain a firearm. | The Auburn teenager, who cannot be named, was arrested on Sunday afternoon after police reportedly intercepted encrypted messages they allege show the boy was trying to obtain a firearm. |
| His solicitor, Zemarai Khatiz, told the Parramatta children’s court on Tuesday an application for bail would be made on Friday, drawing on a psychological assessment of the impact of incarceration on the teenager. | His solicitor, Zemarai Khatiz, told the Parramatta children’s court on Tuesday an application for bail would be made on Friday, drawing on a psychological assessment of the impact of incarceration on the teenager. |
| He said the report of the psychologist, who had 38 years’ experience, would be “a very relevant and powerful factor in the bail application”. | He said the report of the psychologist, who had 38 years’ experience, would be “a very relevant and powerful factor in the bail application”. |
| Commonwealth prosecutor Chris Choi said a number of electronic devices would need to be examined ahead of a brief against the boy being delivered on 7 June. The prosecution asked for 10 weeks to prepare the brief but were granted six. | Commonwealth prosecutor Chris Choi said a number of electronic devices would need to be examined ahead of a brief against the boy being delivered on 7 June. The prosecution asked for 10 weeks to prepare the brief but were granted six. |
| The boy was reportedly participating in a government-funded deradicalisation program after coming to counter-terrorism authorities’ attention last May, when he made contact online with Neil Prakash, a senior Syria-based Islamic State recruiter. | The boy was reportedly participating in a government-funded deradicalisation program after coming to counter-terrorism authorities’ attention last May, when he made contact online with Neil Prakash, a senior Syria-based Islamic State recruiter. |
| Prakash had allegedly tried to lure the youth into an Anzac Day attack to coincide with another in Melbourne that police also foiled. | Prakash had allegedly tried to lure the youth into an Anzac Day attack to coincide with another in Melbourne that police also foiled. |
| The boy’s father told the Australian newspaper in December that the program had been making progress. “He’s 16, so he’s still got a long way to go in the sense that he’s still got a lot of growing up to do,” he said. | The boy’s father told the Australian newspaper in December that the program had been making progress. “He’s 16, so he’s still got a long way to go in the sense that he’s still got a lot of growing up to do,” he said. |
| He “almost fainted” when told by intelligence agents of his son’s contact with Isis figures. “It was a shock. It was like: this can’t happen,” he said. | He “almost fainted” when told by intelligence agents of his son’s contact with Isis figures. “It was a shock. It was like: this can’t happen,” he said. |
| His family is believed to be devout and mainstream in their views, and that part of the deradicalisation program involved attending a mosque with English sermons, a gym membership and regular welfare checks by police. | His family is believed to be devout and mainstream in their views, and that part of the deradicalisation program involved attending a mosque with English sermons, a gym membership and regular welfare checks by police. |
| These efforts appeared to have failed in the last week when police allege the youth tried to engineer an attack to coincide with Anzac Day. | These efforts appeared to have failed in the last week when police allege the youth tried to engineer an attack to coincide with Anzac Day. |
| Clarke Jones, the co-director of an Australian National University centre that advises police and government on intervention programs, said the boy’s arrest should not reflect on the success of the programs. | Clarke Jones, the co-director of an Australian National University centre that advises police and government on intervention programs, said the boy’s arrest should not reflect on the success of the programs. |
| “Nobody expects these programs to succeed 100% of the time,” he said. | “Nobody expects these programs to succeed 100% of the time,” he said. |
| Jones said he “had all the respect in the world” for those involved in the New South Wales police program. But their efforts needed to target the social setting around young people at risk, including Muslim community perceptions of policing, “or we’re not going to get anywhere”. | Jones said he “had all the respect in the world” for those involved in the New South Wales police program. But their efforts needed to target the social setting around young people at risk, including Muslim community perceptions of policing, “or we’re not going to get anywhere”. |