Syria schoolgirls 'stole family jewellery' to fund trip, police tell MPs

THREE British schoolgirls who ran away to join Islamic State stole their families' jewellery to fund their flight to Turkey, police believe.

The girls relatives appear before the House of Commons today PA

The girls relatives appear before the House of Commons today

My sister was into normal teenage things. She used to watch 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians'

Sahima Begum

Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase are understood to have arrived in the Islamic State's de-facto capital of Raqqa, in Syria, after flying from Gatwick to Turkey on February 17. 

Facing MPs from the House of Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee, counter-terrorism chief Mark Rowley said the girls' plane tickets were paid for in cash and bought from a local travel agent.

He said the girls funded their trip, which apparently cost around £1,000, by stealing family jewellery. 

This comes as Amira's father Hussen Abase, Kadiza's cousin Fahmida Aziz and Shamima's older sister Sahima Begum said there were "no signs" the teenagers had been radicalised. 

The relatives said they had had not seen any change in the trio's religious devotion, everyday behaviour or use of social media. 

Sahima said: "My sister was into normal teenage things. She used to watch 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians'."

The relatives gave evidence about perceived police failings, which they believe contributed to the girls' departure. 

Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe - also appearing before the committee today - apologised to the relatives after it emerged that the three schoolgirls, as well as four other girls, were given letters to hand on to their parents, rather than their relatives being sent them directly. 

The letters addressed to their families informed parents that another 15-year-old fellow pupil at Bethnal Green Academy, in east London, had joined the Islamic State in December and asked for permission to take formal statements. 

The schoolgirls ran away to join Isis on February 17 PA

The schoolgirls ran away to join Isis on February 17

However, the girls did not pass the letters on to their families.

Family solicitor Tasnime Akunjee said that had the parents received the letter they would have been "on notice" for issues like radicalisation and foreign travel.

Speaking directly to the family members, Sir Hogan-Howe said: "I'm sorry that [the families] are in this situation, and I'm also sorry that the letter we intended to get to them didn't get through. Clearly, that failed. 

"It was intended for them, and it failed, and for that of course we are sorry."

He said that the girls were only spoken to as part of an investigation into another girl who went to Syria, and said neither their families, the police, or the school realised they planned to join her.

Sir Bernard Hogan-HowePA

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

He added:"The circumstances the parents find themselves in is a terrible situation and they must be worried sick, about how those girls are."

The families also told MPs "not enough" has been done to highlight warning signs of radicalisation. 

Shamima's sister Sahima said she was not aware of the Government's anti-radicalisation programme called Prevent before her sister went missing.

She argued her sister should have been given a risk assessment under the Government strategy when she was interviewed about her friend going missing last December.

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