Radicalisation of children a growing security concern, says interior ministry

Children and teenagers in Czechia are increasingly turning to violence as a way to express themselves, according to the Interior Ministry’s annual report on extremism for 2024. The document, to be discussed by the government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala (Civic Democratic Party), describes a worrying trend of individual radicalisation among minors, often without any link to specific ideologies. Online communities that glorify violence are identified as a major influence. Police are now responding to up to ten violent incidents in schools each week. The number of murders committed by minors has also surged. Experts say the phenomenon is fuelled by social isolation, low resilience, and the influence of past attacks, including the 2023 university shooting in Prague. Minister Vít Rakušan (Mayors and Independents) calls the situation a serious security challenge that demands closer cooperation between security, education, health and social services.