A scene from the civil war in Syria. Police believe a girl from Bristol is heading to the war-torn country
A 15-YEAR-old girl from Bristol has gone missing – and may be trying to get to Syria after being “radicalised”, say police.
The girl, who has not been named but is understood to be from a Somali family, is now known to be in Turkey and believed to be heading for its war-torn neighbour.
Avon and Somerset police assistant chief constable Louisa Rolfe said: “We can confirm that a 15-year-old student from Bristol has travelled to Turkey and we understand she may be attempting to make her way to Syria.
“Since she was reported missing by her parents we’ve carried out extensive work to trace her footsteps from the time she left home to her arrival in Istanbul, Turkey.
“We’re giving every support we can to her family; we want to find out where she is and encourage her to return safely.
“Our officers are working closely with the Metropolitan Police and their network of international liaison officers to find her.
“There are indications she may have been radicalised but at the moment our priority is to find her before she crosses the border to Syria and make sure she is safe.
“We must all be vigilant and ready to spot the signs of radicalisation. Often, young Muslims who go to Syria hold can be naïve and don’t recognise that they are being sucked into joining extremist groups.
“This is not about criminalising these young people, it’s about preventing tragedies.”
Source: Bristol Post
