UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned that Britain faces a new and dangerous form of extremism, driven by online radicalization that promotes extreme violence for its own sake. The threat was highlighted after an 18-year-old teenager admitted to murdering three girls at a dance class in Southport, England.
The attack prompted rioting in several towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland. Police investigations revealed the perpetrator had researched numerous documents online about violence, conflict, and genocide without being motivated by a terrorist ideology. Despite being referred to counterterrorism programs as a teenager, he was deemed not suitable for intervention due to this judgment being “clearly wrong”.
Starmer argued that Britain’s terrorism laws might need to change to recognize and tackle the new threat. He compared the Southport attack to school shootings in America, stating it is an example of a different kind of threat. The government has announced a public inquiry into the incident.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also expressed outrage over the ease with which the perpetrator could have ordered a knife online, despite having a record for violence and being just 17 years old. She vowed to bring in stronger measures to tackle knife sales online and contacted technology companies to remove dangerous material viewed by the perpetrator.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/21/world/europe/uk-terrorism-law-southport-attack-starmer.html