A magistrate is expected to hand down her decision today into the case of a 16-year-old schoolgirl who sent money to an Islamic State (IS) fighter.

The court heard prosecutors allege it wasn’t the first time she had sent IS money, after having admitted to police source she had already sent $10,000 a month earlier.

A statement of facts presented to the court alleges the teen had a conversation with a police source in which, when “asked if the money would go to Islamic State, she says ‘Yes, I just do what Ahmed tells me to do'”.

The schoolgirl, who cannot be named, was charged with collecting funds bound for the terrorist organisation, after counter-terrorism raids on her Guildford home on Tuesday.

Yesterday members of the girl’s family filled Parramatta Children’s Court to watch as the girl made her bid to released on bail.

Court prosecutors allege the teenager was in direct contact with Islamic State fighter Ahmed Merhi and that she had agreed to send him a Western Union transfer of $5000.  They also allege that the transfer was not the first in which the teenager was involved.

“The young person indicated that she sent some money to Syria via Lebanon, and that she knew the money would go to Islamic State, that Merhi (was known to her), and it was agreed that she would take delivery of the $5000 with a view to … facilitating the sending of that money overseas,” commonwealth prosecutor Imad Abdul-Karim told the court.

The court also heard that the young woman could not make the transfer herself because she was under age, but had a contact who could put it through on her behalf.

Defence barrister Michael Pickin, argued it was not in the public interest to allow the schoolgirl to be pulled from school and sit in custody while she awaited trial.  He described the girl as a third-generation Australian who had lived her whole life in Sydney’s western suburbs and was completing her final year of high school.

The barrister said there was no evidence his schoolgirl client had any history of radicalisation.

The magistrate is expected to hand down her decision today.

Image source: Deposit Photos

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.