Australian Federal Police say 32 of the 37 youths prosecuted for counterterrorism offences since 2020 were charged in the past two years.
The warning comes after two children — a boy and a girl — were charged with terrorism-related offences in Darwin last week for plotting to carry out a mass casualty event.
Police are urging parents, educators, and local communities to watch for early signs of online radicalisation.
Australian Federal Police are warning of an explosion in the number of children being radicalised online, with new figures revealing minors account for 40 per cent of all active joint counterterrorism cases this year.
AFP Counterterrorism Commander Paula Hudson told the ABC the vast majority of children charged with counterterrorism offences since 2020 had been prosecuted in the past two years.
"Recently we're seeing a spike in our youth caseload which is really concerning for us," she told the ABC. "To paint that picture, since 2020 we've had to prosecute 37 youth for counterterrorism offences — now that's really the most serious offences that you can get. Thirty-two of that 37 have been prosecuted and arrested in the last two years."
The warning comes after two children — a boy and a girl — were charged with terrorism-related offences in Darwin last week for plotting to carry out a mass casualty…
