News / Assistant Chief Constable
Police hunt Bristol girl on her way to Syria
Police are looking for a 15-year-old Bristol girl who is thought to have become “radicalised” and is trying to get to Syria.
The girl, who is said to be of Somali origin, was reported missing by her parents last Wednesday. Police say she travelled to London before heading to Istanbul, Turkey.
Assistant Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe of Avon and Somerset police said the priority was to find her before she made an attempt to cross the border into the war-torn country.
“We can confirm that a 15-year-old student from Bristol has travelled to Turkey and we understand she may be attempting to make her way to Syria,” she said.
“Since she was reported missing by her parents we’ve carried out extensive work to trace her footsteps from the time she left home to her arrival in Istanbul, Turkey.
“We’re giving every support we can to her family; we want to find out where she is and encourage her to return safely.
“Our officers are working closely with the Metropolitan Police and their network of international liaison officers to find her.
“There are indications she may have been radicalised but at the moment our priority is to find her before she crosses the border to Syria and make sure she is safe.”
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