AFP knew IS brides did not meet terror control threshold

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw says there is ‘active consideration’ of whether any of the women, who were brought back to Australia, had broken the law.

The AFP knew four former Islamic State brides brought back to Australia just over a week ago did not meet the legal threshold for being placed on a terrorism control order, Senate estimates has heard. Picture: AFP

The Australian Federal Police knew four former Islamic State brides brought back to Australia just over a week ago did not meet the legal threshold for being placed on a terrorism control order before they left Syria.

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday there was “active consideration” of whether any of the women had broken the law, and ASIO was conducting an assessment of their potential risks to the community.

His deputy, Ian McCartney, said the women “warrant active consideration” in relation to potential control orders, but they currently did not warrant such orders.

“In terms of the control order, it’s under a piece of legislation and we need to hit legal thresholds in relation to apply for and obtain a controller consent,” he said.

“It’s not going to get across the line, it’s not sufficient.”

Under questioning by Liberal Senator Paul Scarr, Mr McCartney said this was known before the women were brought back from Syria with their 13 children.

“We didn’t assess that we had sufficient grounds to obtain a control water relation to those individuals.

“So there was an assessment done at the time, but that’s a point in time assessment. There is a continuous process in terms of updating the threat assessment.”

The women were the first of 16 ISIS brides to be repatriated to Australia with their 42 children.

It’s understood all of the women said they were prepared to face charges and submit to control orders when they returned to Australia.

The Weekend Australian reported on Saturday that the four women already returned to Australia are under police surveillance, were deemed low-risk by ASIO, and have signed legally ­enforceable agreements to co-operate with authorities.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said she decided to repatriate the women and their 13 children from the secure detention camps in Syria after they underwent “individual, detailed’’ security assessments.