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Police in London are investigating a violent street assault targeting a Jewish woman in the British capital’s Stamford Hill neighborhood on Thursday as a potential hate crime.
Security camera footage of the incident on Rostrevor Avenue was shared online the Shomrim Stamford Hill, a Jewish community security group.
We are deeply saddened and angered by this violent antisemitic attack in the UK. There is no room for hatred and bigotry in our communities.
We call on policymakers to take decisive action against such displays of antisemitism. https://t.co/sniiT7vxe0
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) December 8, 2023
The assailants, both females, reportedly exclaimed “She’s dead!” after attacking the victim, a 20-year-old Jewish woman, and stealing her bag before fleeing the scene.
The Jewish woman was bruised, but ultimately did not require hospitalization.
Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Mike Herrick said, “This was a shocking incident and terrifying experience for the victim who was lucky to not receive more serious injuries.”
“We don’t underestimate the psychological impact of offenses such as these and we are offering her every support as we work to identify the suspects,” he added. “We know footage of the incident has been widely shared on social media and understand that there will be added concerns about the motivation behind the attack. We will of course keep an open mind about the motive and continue to work closely with the local community to allay any fears.”
The Metropolitan Police later tweeted, “Officers take any suggestion of hate crime incredibly seriously and our investigation will include a thorough assessment of the motive for the attack.”
Video footage of a young Jewish woman being violently assaulted and robbed in Haringey yesterday has been widely shared this evening.
This was a shocking incident and we are supporting the victim who is understandably distressed.
We are not sharing the video in full, but we… pic.twitter.com/zwNE37g7YM
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) December 8, 2023
Thursday’s incident occurred amid a global surge of antisemitic violence and harassment triggered by the October 7th Hamas attack against Israel.
In London alone, antisemitic incidents have increased by nearly 1,400 percent over the past two months, according to police data.
Stamford Hill, home to a large Orthodox Jewish community, has seen numerous antisemitic incidents in recent years, including physical assaults similar to Thursday’s.
