As Pericles develops, this page will outline the key activities taking place and contributing to the applied research and tool development of the project.
The attacks in London and Manchester (June and May 2017, respectively), the Champs Elysees attack in Paris (April, 2017), the Stockholm truck attack (April, 2017), St. Petersburg bombing (April, 2017) and the Westminster bridge attack in London (March, 2017) are just a handful of the most recent devastating terror events to occur this year alone. These, together with further tragic events (not least the attacks in Paris in 2015 which ended with 130 people dead and over 300 injured, or the Brussels bombings in 2016 which resulted in 35 deaths and over 200 wounded) have shown Europe’s vulnerability.
Every country is susceptible to violent extremism and the threat of terrorism has no jurisdiction. Under the pressure of these recent attacks it has become clear that cohesion and cooperation amongst policy makers and practitioners is essential to managing security risks, preventing the emergence of terrorism and protecting the public.
Terrorism is a consequence of extreme radicalisation, a process that develops over time. Indeed, identifying such a process early on can enable society to safeguard vulnerable people from the messages of terrorism. The responsibility to prevent these efforts rests within many sectors of society, and this includes law enforcement.
