Council leader 'appalled and shocked' by attack on Jewish woman

Young orthodox Jewish woman suffered bruising and had her handbag stolen during the incident in South Tottenham last Thursday

Rostrevor Avenue and (inset) council leader Peray Ahmet

The leader of Haringey Council has said she is “appalled and shocked” by attack against an orthodox Jewish woman in South Tottenham last week.

In what is being treated as a potential hate crime, at around 4.30pm on Thursday, 7th December, the 20-year-old victim was approached in Rostrevor Avenue by two girls who assaulted her and stole her handbag. She did not require hospital treatment but suffered bruising.

Two teen girls have since been arrested and bailed pending further enquiries.

Responding to the assault, Cllr Ahmet, said: “I was absolutely appalled and shocked to see the footage shared last week of an orthodox Jewish woman being assaulted and robbed in south Tottenham.

“Two individuals have now been arrested in relation to the case, and we are continuing to liaise closely with the police and support them with their investigation.

“The police are treating this incident as a possible hate crime. Regardless of the motive, this was a sickening attack and will doubtless impact our Jewish residents, many of whom are already feeling vulnerable in the face of rising antisemitism in the UK since the outbreak of violence in Israel and Gaza.

“I want to reassure our Jewish communities that we stand with you as one community here in Haringey. We have always been clear that there is absolutely no place for hate in our borough, and we will continue to work with our communities and partners, including the police, to make sure Haringey is a safe and welcoming place for all of our residents.”

Extensive enquiries have been carried out since the incident to identify the suspects, including use of CCTV footage captured near the scene. Detectives have also benefited from the support of members of the public who have provided information to support the investigation.

Detective Sergeant Asli Benson, who has led the investigation, said: “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 antisemitic 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.”

Officers continue to appeal for anyone with information about the incident to call 101 providing the reference CAD 5505/07Dec. Information can also be shared with the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111.

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