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Boy, 2, whose mum took him to live with ISIS is excited by guns and shooting people since returning to the UK

Toddler would run around mimicking shooting after he met jihadi thugs

A TODDLER whose mother took him to an ISIS-controlled area of Syria returned to the UK with an interest in guns and shooting people, a family court judge has heard.

The two-year-old became over-excited at the suggestion of firearms and ran around mimicking using them, a social worker told Ms Justice Russell.

 The boy's mum took to the ISIS-stronghold of Raqqa when he was just 14 months old
AP:Associated Press

Details of the boy's behaviour has emerged in a ruling by Ms Justice Russell following a family court hearing in London.

Local authority social services bosses with responsibility for the youngster's welfare want a family court judge to make decisions about his long-term future.

The 2-year-old, who is now in foster care, and his mother cannot be named for legal reasons.

Ms Justice Russel said the boy had been taken to Syria by his mother in late 2014 when he was just 14 months old.

The pair had stayed in Raqqa, an area controlled by so-called Islamic State - which is also known as Daesh - for about three months.

In early 2015 the woman had taken the boy to Turkey but she was deported back to Britain.

Ms Justice Russell said the woman had been arrested and subsequently jailed after being convicted of terrorism offences.

The toddler is living with carers while decisions are made about his long-term future.

Speaking at the High Court in London, Ms Justice Russell said: "When (the woman) took (the little boy) to Syria she did so intending to join Daesh as part of the war against the Syrian state; at best she was reckless as to the safety and well-being of her son.


"She accepted that she and the other women and children in the house she and (the little boy) were living in were affected by the bombing had had to seek shelter; she was, she said, panicked, frightened and scared. She thought she might be killed and (the boy) too."

 The 2-year-old is said to have developed an interest in guns after spending time with ISIS in Syria
AP:Associated Press

Ms Justice Russell added: "There was some evidence before the court that on his return, and subsequently, (the little boy) displayed signs of having been emotionally disturbed; his language and his ability to communicate were noticeably delayed and he has shown a marked and persistent interest in guns and 'shooting people'.

"The court heard from his social worker about this and from the doctor who undertook the initial child protection examination."

The woman had denied that the little boy had suffered "any ill effects" and said any distress he might have displayed was a result of him being taken from her care.

But Ms Justice Russell went on: "The evidence of the social worker is that (the little boy) is all too aware of what a gun is and becomes over-excited by the suggestion of guns and shooting, and runs around mimicking shooting and makes noises of gunfire."

The judge said she had heard submissions from a number of lawyers, including barristers Deirdre Fottrell QC and Dermot Casey, who represented the local authority, and barristers Elizabeth Isaacs QC and Patrick Wainwright who represented the woman.