Teenage girls arrested after Jewish woman ‘beaten unconscious’
Two girls aged 13 and 14 have been arrested after a Jewish woman was violently robbed in north London in what police are saying is a possible hate crime.
A 20-year-old orthodox Jewish woman was filmed being hit, wrestled to the ground and kicked by two girls who appeared to be wearing their school uniform on Rostrevor Avenue in Haringey on Thursday.
The neighbourhood group Shomrim, which released CCTV footage of the attack at around 4.30pm on Sunday, said the victim was “beaten unconscious” and that attackers “stood over” her “joking about her being dead”.
The woman did not require hospital treatment but suffered bruising and was left shaken.
The Metropolitan Police said: “At around midday on Sunday, 10 Dec, officers went to an address in Haringey where they arrested two girls aged 13 and 14 on suspicion of robbery. They remain in custody.”
The attack is being treated as a potential hate crime but officers are “keeping an open mind” about any motive behind it.
‘A terrifying incident’
Det Sgt Asli Benson, who has led the investigation, said: “This was a terrifying incident for the young woman who was attacked. We will continue to ensure she has the right support.
“Officers have been pursuing all available lines of enquiry since the incident and these arrests are a very positive development.
“The victim is from the orthodox Jewish community. It would have been obvious from her appearance that she was Jewish and there has been significant concern that she was targeted for that reason.
“In the current climate, when fears and uncertainty in the wider Jewish community are heightened following the terror attacks in Israel and the subsequent rise in anti-Semitic hate crime here in London, these concerns are entirely understandable.
“While we are keeping an open mind as to the motive behind the incident and will continue to explore all avenues, we are treating this as a possible hate crime.”
Scotland Yard thanked the public for supporting the investigation to date and said they had worked with school officers, including from neighbouring boroughs, and school staff to confirm the suspects’ identities.
It said “officers continue to appeal for anyone with information about the incident” to call 101, quoting CAD 5505/07Dec, or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
