Two girls aged 14 and 13 arrested after Jewish woman robbed of bag in 'possible hate crime'
10 December 2023, 15:32 | Updated: 10 December 2023, 18:45
Two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of robbery after a Jewish woman's bag was stolen in a possible hate crime.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The girls, aged 14 and 13, were arrested in Haringey on Sunday.
The victim, a 20-year-old woman, was approached by two girls it was believed were wearing school uniform.
CCTV showed two people approach and attack her on Thursday, December 7, leaving her bruised.
She did not need hospital but was shaken by the attack.
The Met's Detective Sergeant Asli Benson, who 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 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."
Updates to follow
