3 teenagers charged for plotting terror attacks in Germany

 

Admin I Sunday, October  06, 2024

 

NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA – A court in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has charged three teenagers for allegedly planning a deadly Islamist terrorist attack, a spokeswoman for the Dusseldorf Regional Court told dpa.

The suspects, who were aged 15 and 16 at the time, have been in custody since the Easter holidays in April. A court recently ordered that they remain in custody. They are suspected of plotting a terrorist attack “in accordance with the aims and ideology of [extremist terror group] Islamic State.”

The three teenagers, two females and one male, are said to have exchanged terrorist attack plans via the social media platform Telegram and to have discussed attacks in churches, courtrooms, train stations or police stations, according to prosecutors.

The suspects are believed to have responded to the charges, but it is unclear whether they rejected or accepted them. No trial date has yet been set.

Proceedings against a fourth suspect in the state of Baden-Württemberg have been separated and handed over to the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office.

According to the investigation, a prosecutor said the youth allegedly agreed to a crime and prepared “a serious act of violence to endanger the state.”

Police first took notice of the 16-year-old girl from Iserlohn after receiving indications that she planned to leave the country to join Islamic State and fight for the group.

She had allegedly discussed her intentions with the female suspect from Dusseldorf. During a forensic analysis of her phone, investigators uncovered a second chat in which attack plans were discussed.

Although there was no specific time or location for an attack, one of the girls had reportedly gathered information on police stations in Dortmund.

During searches in Dusseldorf, authorities seized a machete and a dagger. The father of the Dusseldorf suspect had also previously come under investigation for allegedly raising funds in support of Islamic State.