Teens sentenced for racist attack on rabbi in Hackney

TWO TEENAGERS, aged 15 and 16, were sentenced at Stratford Youth Court last week for carrying out a racially aggravated common assault on a rabbi. The attack took place in Amhurst Park in November last year.

The two youths received 12 month Youth Rehabilitation Orders. They will be under curfew from 6pm to 6am for 30 days, which will be monitored electronically.  Each has to pay a £21 victim surcharge and take part in a ten day Diversity Awareness Programme.

The victim, aged 54, received minor physical injuries from the attack. While they were assaulting him the teenagers subjected him to a stream of anti-Semitic comments. Police were able to find images of the suspects on CCTV and a members of the public identified them and told police who they were.

Detective Constable Matthew Cooksey, who is from the Metropolitan Police Central East BCU, explained “Hate crime is not tolerated and we take such offences extremely seriously. This incident highlights the efforts we are willing to take to track down suspects. It is upsetting that the boys refused to take responsibility for their crimes by pleading not guilty. I hope the conviction has given some sort of closure to the victim.”

•Police were also keen to assure the public that they take hate crime very seriously and to encourage anyone who has been a victim of it or witnessed it to report it to the police via 101 or, if it is an emergency, via 999. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111 and give information anonymously.

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