Joan Smith

Terrorism begins at home. In the debate about what makes a terrorist, a striking common factor has been long overlooked - a history of domestic violence. From the Manchester bomber, who was known to police for assaulting a woman, to the London Bridge attackers, who abused their wives, mothers and sisters, the portrait is shockingly clear. Terrorism is seen as a special category of crime that has blinded us to the obvious - that it is, almost always, male violence. It belongs alongside cases such as the Finsbury Park Mosque attacker and the Florida school shooter - privately abusive men whose public outbursts cost lives. The Charlie Hebdo killers provide a further insight, into the role of childhood trauma in developing violent behaviour. But the greatest proof lies in ISIS, who deliberately recruit youths who have been indoctrinated into cruelty and rape. It's the world's biggest boys' gang. Until Joan Smith's radical outcry in 2017 criminal authorities missed this link, because violence against women is dangerously normalised. Yet, since domestic abuse often comes before a public attack, it's here a solution to the scourge of our age might be found. Home-Grown is not just a book - it's a manifesto. Joan Smith has researched the backgrounds of terrorists across the UK, Europe and the US. With scouring perception, she sets out a course of action that could transform the way we counteract domestic abuse and save lives.

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