Dad of jailed neo-Nazi teenager says she was failed
The father of a neo-Nazi teenager jailed for trying to behead a Kurdish barber with an ax has blamed police and mental health services for failing his daughter.
Alina Burns (19), Last month he was sentenced to at least 15 years and six months in prison He is accused of attempting to kill Mohammed Mahmoodi in a terrorist attack.
Luke Burns, who made two formal complaints to Avon and Somerset Police, said he was “furious” that officers did not tell him his daughter had been radicalised.
The force said the service it provided had been thoroughly investigated and deemed “acceptable”. He added that he was evaluating the family’s complaint regarding the anti-terrorism referral.
Alina Burns, who has autism and anorexia, worked for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) when she was young, but her father claimed she was abandoned after the service decided she was “too ill” to go to school.
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“I think we feel very guilty that this happened and that we let him down,” Luke Burns said.
“But in the back of our minds, it’s not just us that failed him. Everyone failed him.
“You go back to the police, you go back to Camhs, you go back to hospital training, you go back to school, all the way back.
“Everyone let him down. He wanted a purpose in life but it held him back. He couldn’t get into GCSEs, he had no future. It’s devastating.” he continued.
Luke Burns lodges two formal complaints with police [PA Media]
The 19-year-old was radicalized by neo-Nazi extremism and had been in contact with far-right groups.
Luke Burns said the process must have happened “extremely quickly” as he had only had the laptop for “a few months”.
“He had expressed a few views to us before May that were very Reform-type views. But nothing more than that,” he said.
“There was nothing to worry about,” he added.
Luke Burns said his daughter was “extremely lovely at home” and there were “no concerns” she would become aggressive or violent towards anyone.
“The attack was shocking and we are shocked that it happened and are grateful that the victim was not physically injured more than he already was,” he said.
Alina Burns approached her victim from behind and swung an ax at his neck [Counter Terrorism Police]
Alina Burns injured Mahmoodi’s neck by attacking him from behind with an ax while he was standing in front of a barber shop in Bristol in August.
The 27-year-old man, who fled Iran in 2021 to seek “sanctuary and safety”, told Bristol Crown Court that his life had changed both “physically and mentally” following the attack.
He said he had nightmares, became more lonely and withdrawn, and that the scar was “a daily reminder that he was almost killed.”
The family only learned after the attack that concerns about the teenager had been expressed months before the incident, when the girl told a man on a dating app to “kill all the Jews and Muslims”.
Avon and Somerset Police referred the report to Counter Terrorism Policing, which concluded the report did not meet the threshold for an investigation.
Luke Burns said he could have prevented the attack by intervening and talking to his daughter if he had known the directions.
Alina Burns was arrested by police officers who were nearby at the time of the attack. [Counter Terrorism Police]
Four months before the attempted murder, Alina Burns was detained due to concerns that her health would deteriorate, but after a mental health examination, she was taken to her family.
His father said there should be a care plan and that he should not be “just brought home.”
He filed a complaint with the police regarding his release from custody as well as his transfer to the anti-terrorism police.
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said a full investigation was underway.
“It has been determined that advice from mental health professionals has been sought, appropriate safeguarding risk assessments have been completed and all relevant policies and procedures have been followed,” they said.
South West Counter Terrorism Police confirmed it had assessed the messages sent by Alina Burns and it was decided “no further action would be taken”.
“Since the horrific attack on August 2, we have extensively reviewed the decision-making process around these messages and identified what has been learned,” a spokesperson added.
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