Anti-terror bosses to be told to stop painting jihadis as mental health victims

ANTI-terror bosses will be told to stop treating would-be extremists as if they are mentally ill.

Instead, they should treat them as bad people who follow dangerous ideologies, a major report is to say.

The back to basics call comes in a review of Prevent, the Government-funded anti-terror programme intended to root out potential extremists.

The report by former Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross will also say Islamist jihadists remain a greater threat than far-right extremists.

A source said: “Shawcross’s review is a crucial piece of work in returning Prevent to its original principles of rooting out extremism and stopping people turning into terrorists.

Mistakes have been made in the past but this is about rectifying those and getting back to basics.”

Potential extremists can be referred to Prevent by police, teachers or local authorities.

But it has been criticised for failing to root out those who go on to kill — including Ali Harbi Ali who murdered Tory MP Sir David Amess in October 2021.

Last year, it was swamped with more than 6,400 referrals, including 2,000 boys who were identified as being no threat.

The long-delayed review follows concerns that Prevent officials act like social workers who regard those referred to it as vulnerable or mentally ill.

It will even suggest that some Prevent-funded groups have promoted extremist narratives.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman backs the findings, The Sun on Sunday understands.