The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have taken a Montreal boy into custody on charges connected to terrorism, asserting he had declared loyalty to the Islamic State and was plotting to carry out an attack. The arrest took place without incident in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce area, with law enforcement still searching a nearby apartment for evidence. The minor’s name and age have not been disclosed, but Corporal Érique Gasse assured that there was no threat to public safety as police had begun their investigation several months ago.
facilitating terrorist activities, participating in the activities of a terrorist group, and providing or making available resources for terrorist purposes.
The investigation involved nearly 40 members of the RCMP's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team. Authorities recently highlighted a concerning trend where an increasing number of young individuals are drawn to extremist ideologies, particularly online. In a joint report with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and other partners from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance released late last year, they warned of the radicalization of minors presenting threats equivalent to that of adults.
Cécile Rousseau, a McGill University professor and specialist in preventing violent radicalization, noted that this arrest reflects a troubling rise in youth in Quebec engaging in violence. Dr. Rousseau, a child psychiatrist involved in treating young extremists, reported a significant uptick in their patient population, revealing they had treated 150 new cases in the past year alone, which has doubled the number from two years prior. She remarked that the percentage of minors among these patients has risen dramatically, climbing from approximately 20% to 70%.
Furthermore, the average age at which young people in Quebec first encounter radicalization has dropped from 19 to around 13 or 14 years old. Dr. Rousseau pointed out that the internet plays a crucial role in this phenomenon, compounded by high levels of distress among youth and continuous recruitment efforts from both ideological and non-ideological groups. In her experience, most cases referred to her center involve individuals attracted to white supremacist or neo-Nazi ideologies, with a smaller fraction associated with Islamic extremism. She noted that while the Islamic State had diminished in recruitment power a decade ago, it is experiencing a resurgence today.
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