University of Reading

04/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/26/2024 10:01

Expert comment: Reading terror attack inquest

Expert comment: Reading terror attack inquest

26 April 2024

The inquest into the June 2020 Reading terror attack is set to conclude.
Professor Harmonie Toros, Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of Reading said: "The inquest into the tragic murders of three men at Forbury Gardens in 2020 highlights two things.

"First, the evidence from the inquest made clear that mental health support in the UK is under-resourced.

"Second, the UK needs to train counterterrorism officers adequately. As we learned earlier, a counterterrorism police officer who gave evidence himself said that he was not properly trained to deal with Khairi Saadallah's case. The UK has to focus on training those specifically tasked with the counterterrorism remit rather thank expand counterterrorism monitoring and assessments to other branches of public service, such as health, social services or education."

About Professor Harmonie Toros