A man allegedly assaulted three Jewish teens on a north London bus last week in an incident that the Metropolitan Police is investigating as an antisemitic hate crime, the police department told JNS.
The three 14-year-old boys were traveling on a bus near Sanders Lane in Mill Hill at about 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 10, the day before Rosh Hashanah.
Officers from the Met’s new Community Protection Team spoke with the boys and took their accounts. Two of the boys said that they had been physically assaulted, and all three said they were targets of hate speech, the Met told JNS. It added that the investigation is ongoing, and officers are reviewing security footage. Police officers have not released details about the language allegedly used or what preceded the reported physical assaults.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in the area, told JNS that the suspect is believed to be a white British man.
“The Met will not tolerate antisemitism in any form, and we will respond robustly to any and all offenses that occur,” Williams stated. “Urgent enquiries are ongoing to trace and identify the suspect linked to this incident.”
The incident came as the police department increased patrols ahead of the Jewish High Holidays.
“Our Jewish communities have the right to celebrate and observe the upcoming High Holidays without fear of antisemitic hate,” Williams told JNS. “During this important period of peace, we have increased our patrols in order to provide reassurance, deter those who seek to cause harm and help ensure people can come together with confidence.”
The Community Security Trust, which provides support to the British Jewish community and monitors antisemitism, said that it is working with the school and police after the attacks.
“We are aware of an appalling incident last week, in which Jewish pupils were allegedly assaulted by an adult male on a bus,” a spokesman for the group told JNS. “We are working closely with the school and police to provide support and reassurance.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, an umbrella group that has represented the Jewish community since 1760, also condemned the incident.
“It is deeply disturbing that three schoolboys were targeted and assaulted simply because they are Jewish,” a spokesman for the Board of Deputies told JNS. “No child should have to face antisemitic abuse or violence on their journey to school or anywhere else.”
“We welcome the Metropolitan Police’s investigation and urge anyone with information to come forward,” the Board of Deputies told JNS. “Jewish children must be able to go about their daily lives without fear of being targeted for who they are.”
