A 12-year-old Jewish boy was allegedly attacked on Monday (January 30) while travelling on a bus in North London, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. The boy had reportedly been travelling from school in Hackney when a man, believed to be in his 50s, grabbed him by his throat and thrown him off the bus, according to local Jewish neighbourhood watch group Shomrim.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed to MyLondon on Wednesday (February 1) that the alleged assault had been reported to them by a ‘third party’ as a ‘possible anti-Semitic incident’. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “A report has been made to police about an incident on a 253 bus in Stamford Hill. The incident was reported to have happened at about 6pm on Monday, January 30 at the Lynmouth Road, N16 bus stop.
“A 12-year-old boy reported he was grabbed by the neck by a man and then pushed off the bus. Officers have attended and spoke to the boy concerned. The matter was reported as a possible anti-Semitic incident by a third party agency. There have been no arrests. Enquiries continue.”
Stamford Hill is known to be an area home to a large community of Orthodox Jewish residents, who identify themselves as Haredi. The latest alleged incident comes after another similar report in October 2022 when a Jewish teenager was subjected to verbal abuse outside a Sainsbury’s supermarket nearby.
#HateCrime #Antisemitism
— Shomrim (Stamford Hill) (@Shomrim) January 31, 2023
12-year-old #Jewish boy travelling home from school attacked on a @TFL Bus #476 SD
50-year-old Male grabbed the child by his throat & threw him off the bus@MPSHackney @MPSRTPC
CAD 6794 30/01/23 pic.twitter.com/dlNAYSR9iX
In July 2022, three separate anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in Hackney and Haringey, including one that saw a woman hit over the head with a wooden stick in a targeted attack. A 29-year-old woman was also sprayed with a liquid and threatened by another woman, while a 13-year-old boy was also attacked.
Over £25,000 worth of damage was also caused to Jewish-owned shops in the area between July 31 and August 2 last year.
Tweeting about the latest incident, the account for Shomrim (Stamford Hill) wrote: “12-year-old Jewish boy travelling home from school attacked on a TFL Bus #476 SD. 50-year-old Male grabbed the child by his throat & threw him off the bus.”
Anyone with information that can help the police with their enquiries is encouraged to contact the Met on 101 citing reference number CAD 6794 30/01/23. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
