The Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil supported the Australian Federal Police (AFP) following allegations that they encouraged an autistic 13-year-old boy into radical extremism by fostering his fixation with Islamic State. She voiced her backing of the AFP on ABC Radio National, praising their efforts but also acknowledging the broader concern of increasing incidents of radicalization in the younger population. The Minister recognized this issue as a critical one for the government to address to prevent further escalation into dangerous situations requiring police intervention.
The senior AFP officer who authorized the undercover operation defended his actions, stating that attempts to de-radicalize the boy were unsuccessful and that the boy was now a greater threat. However, a Victorian magistrate and politicians criticized this conduct, citing the boy’s age, disability, and below-average IQ as reasons why the AFP had acted inappropriately.
The boy’s parents sought help from Victoria Police after he exhibited concerning behavior such as watching Islamic State-related videos and asking his mother to buy bomb-making ingredients. This led to an investigation and eventually resulted in two terror charges laid against the boy. However, a Victorian Children’s Court magistrate found that the conduct of the JCTT and the AFP was unacceptable, as they had encouraged the fixation of the boy and thwarted efforts for his rehabilitation.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge expressed his outrage in Parliament, claiming that the AFP had recommended that the boy become a sniper and a suicide bomber, which he labeled as an “obscene abuse of power and authority”. He emphasized the lack of remorse and the decision to carry out a covert operation against a 13-year-old boy with autism and denounced the AFP’s actions. He also raised concerns over the identification of a 13-year-old boy with autism as a “high-value target” warranting AFP attention.