Police chief reassures Muslim community after boy arrested over online threat

WA police chief Col Blanch said the incident was a reminder for parents to be vigilant about their children’s use of the internet.

The Australian Islamic House in Edmonson Park in Sydney’s southwest. Picture: Thomas Lisson/NewsWire

Western Australia’s Police Commissioner says there is no ongoing risk to the Muslim community relating to a threat from a 16-year-old to “Christchurch 2.0” a Sydney mosque.

Officers from the Australian Federal Police and WA Police’s State Security Investigation Group raided the boy’s family home in Eaton, near Bunbury in WA’s southwest late on Tuesday, following investigations into a comment allegedly posted by the boy on the Instagram page of the newly opened Australian Islamic House in Edmondson Park in Sydney’s southwest.

The comment was a reference to the mass shooting carried out at a Christchurch mosque in 2019 in which 51 people were killed.

The boy has been charged with creating false apprehension to the existence of threats or danger, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years im­prisonment. He has been released on bail.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning that comments such as that allegedly made by the boy creates fear in the community.

“At this point in time, based on this charge, we think there was no way he could carry out that threat, there is no ongoing threat, we don’t believe there to be a network of people here or across Australia that is involved in this threat,” he said.

He said the boy’s parents were “horrified” by the episode, which he said was a reminder of the need for parents to be vigilant about their children’s online activities.

“Parenting is hard at the best of times, but be plugged into your children’s activities online, because if they go down this pathway, having people in blue, and in this case, probably people in black, turn up to your house and come through your front door is a nightmare that no one wants,” he said.

“And I want to be very clear about this, police are always going to respond this way, because the threat is out there, the fear is out there, we have to address it and investigate it. So we are coming through the front door.”

Anthony Albanese, NSW Premier Chris Minns and WA Premier Roger Cook have all condemned the threat.

Mr Cook told reporters on Wednesday that he was pleased by the swift response to the threat. “I want to be clear, those who make online threats will be caught,” he said.