Two-thirds of terror suspects in Western Europe are teenagers
Two-thirds of terror suspects in Western Europe are teenagers.
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Listening: Two-thirds of terror suspects in Western Europe are teenagers
Terrorists are becoming younger. This trend can also be seen in Switzerland, says expert Peter Neumann. He describes a new type of self-radicalised young attacker, which he calls Tiktok terrorists.
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Zwei Drittel der Terror-Verdächtigen in Westeuropa sind Teenager
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For a book that will be published in September, the professor of security studies at King’s College in London recorded all those arrested on suspicion of terrorism in Western Europe since October 2023. Two-thirds of the almost 60 people are teenagers aged between 13 and 19.
“This is new. Ten years ago, this age group was an exception, now it’s the rule,” Neumann told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung on Friday. In addition, these suspects are becoming radicalised online, without even a person such as a preacher to provide the final impetus for the act.
The radicalisation begins on large platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram and later shifts to closed groups on platforms such as Telegram.
“The new pattern can also be seen in Switzerland,” he said. As examples, he cited the perpetrator who stabbed an orthodox Jew in Zurich in March and the arrests in Schaffhausen and Thurgau at Easter.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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