Stamford Hill: Boy made to pay £20 for putting lit fireworks into the pockets of Jewish people

Police dealing with an earlier anti-Semitic attack in London
@Shomrim/Twitter
Hannah Al-Othman20 July 2016
WEST END FINAL

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Community leaders in Stamford Hill have slammed the "disturbingly light" sentence given to a 14-year-old boy who placed lit fireworks in the pockets of Jewish pedestrians.

The teen was ordered to pay £20 after he was dealt with by Hackney Youth Offender Panel after he was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault in January.

The victims managed to escape without injury, and the boy was detained in Dunsmure Road by volunteer neighbourhood watch group Shomrim in Hackney, who alerted police.

Following the sentencing, Moshe Monitz, Supervisor at Stamford Hill Shomrim, said the fine sent out "the wrong message to victims", and called for tougher sentencing on hate crimes.

Mr Monitz said: "The outcome in this case unfortunately sends out a wrong message to victims, a sense of why bother if justice will not be served.

"The CPS and Ministry of Justice should consider the impact that a crime has upon its victim and the message it sends to all victims in general.

"There is so much talk about a zero tolerance approach to hate crime, but it is important that it should not be mere words, it is the action that demonstrates how serious the words are.

"I would encourage victims to continue to come forward and report all crimes, Shomrim are here to support you, and from previous experience I can also assure you that our local police take crime reports seriously and conduct thorough investigations."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “A 14-year-old male who was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault has been dealt with by the Hackney Youth Offender Panel.

"Police had been called at around 08:00 on Sunday, January 31 to Dunsmure Road N16 to reports of a youth assaulting members of the Jewish community.

"He was referred to the Hackney Youth Offender Panel for the above offence. A contract was issued having effect for an extended compliance period of two months and a total contract period 12 months. Also compensation of £20 is to be paid.”

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