A former Australian serviceman wipes away tears during a dawn service to commemorate ANZAC Day at the Martin Place cenotaph in Sydney April 25, 2011. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corp and ANZAC day is marked annually with hundreds of d
IN PHOTO: A former Australian serviceman wipes away tears during a dawn service to commemorate ANZAC Day at the Martin Place cenotaph in Sydney April 25, 2011. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corp and ANZAC day is marked annually with hundreds of dawn services across the two countries. Reuters/Tim Wimborne

A 14-year-old British boy was charged with provoking a terror attack in Australia. The case is linked to an Anzac Day terror attack which had allegedly been planned by five Melbourne teenagers.

The British teenager was charged with two offences of inciting terrorism overseas. He is the youngest in the country to have been charged with such grave offences. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly incited someone to target an Anzac Day parade in Australia. The planning apparently took place between March 15 and 26.

British prosecutors said that the plan was to kill Australian people or cause serious injuries to them. The teenager has also been accused of inciting a person to behead an Australian victim on March 18. The boy was initially arrested with a 16-year-old girl from Manchester on April 2. They were bailed after having been questioned on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

The boy was against arrested on April 18. It was the same day when Australia police performed raids and arrested five Melbourne teenagers allegedly planning a terror attack on Anzac Day. British counter-terrorism officers came to Melbourne to work on the investigation together.

The arrests led to heightened security arrangements during Anzac Day events, both in England and in Australia. Two 18-year-old Melbourne boys were charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act.

British police arrested the Bradford boy and found communications with an Australian man related to the alleged attack from his “devices.” According to British police, there were indications in the communication about a “potential credible terrorist attack in Australia.”

Deborah Walsh said that the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges for the teenager after an investigation by the North West Counter Terrorism Unit. The deputy head of counter terrorism confirmed that the defendant had allegedly incited another person to behead someone in Australia.

“The decision to prosecute has been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors,” Walsh said, “We have determined that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.” He reminded that the teenager had a right to a fair trial.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au

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