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A man allegedly attacked three Jewish teenagers aboard a bus in Mill Hill, north London, on Sept. 10, the day before Rosh Hashanah.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident as an antisemitic hate crime.
The 14-year-old boys were riding near Sanders Lane at about 8:15 a.m. They later gave their accounts to officers from the Met’s newly-formed Community Protection Team. Two reported being physically assaulted, while all three said they were targeted with hate speech.
The case remains open, with investigators reviewing security footage. Police have not revealed what was allegedly said or what happened before the reported violence.
The area’s senior police commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, said police believed the suspect was a white British man. He said the Met “will not tolerate antisemitism in any form” and that efforts to trace and identify the suspect remained underway.
Police had increased patrols ahead of the Jewish High Holidays. Williams said Jewish residents had the right to observe the holidays “without fear of antisemitic hate,” adding that the expanded patrols were intended to “deter those who seek to cause harm.”
The Community Security Trust, a British Jewish security organization, called the reported attack “an appalling incident.” A spokesperson said the group is working “closely with the school and police to provide support and reassurance.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews issued its own condemnation. A spokesperson called it “deeply disturbing that three schoolboys were targeted and assaulted simply because they are Jewish” and urged anyone with information to come forward. “Jewish children must be able to go about their daily lives without fear of being targeted for who they are,” the group said.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It, a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent. Download it today on the Apple App Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it.
