Women accounted for almost half of all terrorism-related arrests in Britain last year, marking the highest proportion on record, according to new Home Office figures.
The data shows that female suspects made up 47.6% of terrorism arrests in 2025.
By comparison, women accounted for an average of just 9.05% of terrorism arrests each year between 2002 and 2024.
This surge is part of a wider trend that has seen terrorism arrest numbers surge since the ban on Palestine Action.
Sarah Cotte was arrested in 2024 under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 – inviting support for a proscribed organisation.
She said: “It’s this movement that has politicised so many young people in the past two years. We’ve not really seen anything quite like it for many years in this country.
“It’s clear that the state is going specifically after the more radical elements of that movement.”
The figures represent a dramatic shift in the demographic profile of those arrested under terrorism legislation.
The figures relate to arrests rather than convictions, meaning they do not indicate guilt or the outcome of individual investigations.
The charging data shows that there has been a shift from the majority of charges being associated with more extreme actions.
Section 58, the collection of information useful for an act of terrorism, was the most common terrorism charge in 2020 but it is now Section 13 – displaying or publishing articles or images in support of a proscribed organisation.
Featured image credit: Megan Norcott
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