Sunday 17th October 2021
Knife attack on MPs
Amess assassin was in a prevention project
The murder of Tory MP David Amess shocks Britain. The authorities are now assuming a terrorist motive. According to a media report, the suspect has been part of an anti-extremism program for years.
According to British media reports, the person arrested in the case of the fatal attack on British MP David Amess took part in a program to prevent extremism. As reported by the BBC, among others, the 25-year-old was referred to the prevention project “Prevent” a few years ago; but he was not under observation by the domestic secret service MI5.
The Briton of Somali origin was initially arrested on suspicion of murder, but is now being held on suspicion of terrorism. According to the police, initial investigations had shown “a possible motivation in connection with Islamist extremism”.
His father, a former advisor to the Somali prime minister, was “very traumatized” by the crime. He never expected something like that, he told the Times. The police assume that it is a lone perpetrator. As Scotland Yard announced on Saturday evening, three house searches took place in the London area in connection with the case.
Conservative David Amess was stabbed to death by an assailant on Friday during a citizens’ clinic in his constituency in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. The 25-year-old was arrested on the spot immediately after the crime. Hundreds of people remembered the 69-year-old victim on Saturday evening at a lights vigil in Leigh-on-Sea. A memorial service is planned for this afternoon.