Radicalised teen had unsupervised access to prayer rooms despite other parents' concerns

Perth residents, students mourn alleged stabbing attack

The “radicalised” teenager who was shot dead after stabbing a man in a Perth Bunnings on Saturday had been given access to his school’s prayer rooms without direct supervision, despite parents raising concerns about what was going on inside.

The 16-year-old boy’s school, Rossmoyne Senior High, was aware his extreme behaviour had seen him enter a deradicalisation program

Western Australian Department of Education director general Lisa Rodgers today described the prayer room as a corridor overlooked by two classrooms and a staff office.

The radicalised teenager who was shot dead after stabbing a man in a Perth Bunnings on Saturday had been given access to his school’s prayer rooms without direct supervision.

“Certainly there was ongoing kind of passive monitoring of that prayer room,” she told 6PR radio, adding that the teen “would have had the opportunity to participate in that prayer room without active oversight”.

Rodgers denied claims the young extremist was using his time in the room to indoctrinate others after parents of another student raised concerns but admitted he might have been talking to his peers about religion.

“They may have been having conversations in regards to religion,” she said.

“But certainly not radicalisation, there’s a big line between practising your faith and radicalisation.”

The 16-year-old’s extreme behaviour had seen him enter a deradicalisation program.

The 16-year-old police described as radicalised was shot dead by an officer after stabbing a stranger at Willetton Bunnings on Saturday night, but his online movements had been closely watched before that.

He had been caught viewing videos of people being beheaded and was provided with a school laptop with a locked browser on which his activity was monitored.

“What he did outside of school gates in regards to what he did with that content, I can’t speak to,” Rodgers said.

“But I can tell you and I can assure parents that while he was at school he was prevailed and monitored.”

https://omny.fm/shows/6pr-mornings/wa-education-department-director-general-lisa-rodg/embed

She said Rossmoyne was reporting to police about the boy every month.

The education department said prayer rooms at Rossmoyne and other schools would remain open so students had the opportunity to practise their religion.

“We can’t ask students to park their faith at the door,” Rodgers said.