British Jews ‘let down by a criminal justice system that has failed in its core task’
CST says it is 'outrageous' no one has been prosecuted for last year's Palestine car convoy, but after meeting CPS 'understand legal reasons why they feel a prosecution cannot go ahead'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
British Jews have been “let down by a criminal justice system that has failed in its core task” over the sickening decision to drop charges against all the suspects in the infamous Palestine car convoy, a CST spokesperson has said.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed last week that it had dropped all charges against the two remaining suspects in a convoy of six cars that drove through London in May last year, blasting their horns and screaming, “F*** the Jews, rape their daughters.” The decision sparked outrage across the community.
After meeting with the CPS this week to discuss the case, a Community Security Trust spokesperson told Jewish News they “understand the legal reasons why they feel a prosecution cannot go ahead”.
However, the CST added it was “outrageous” no one had been held to account for involvement in the convoy after footage of it appeared on social media.
The CST’s warning came after Home Secretary Suella Braverman told a Parliamentary committee of her concerns that “enforcing” against antisemitic crime is “not sufficiently done”, while accepting that the CPS was bound by its own “legal tests”.
Labour MP Carolyn Harris had raised concern about the way “the police and CPS” had looked at the convoy case at a meeting yesterday of the home affairs select committee.
Braverman, who stressed that “members of my own family are Jewish”, also praised the work of the CST but admitted she was not yet able to “commit to a full review” of the convoy case as there were “currently many, many reviews going on at the Home Office”.
Conservative MP Mike Freer said: “The CPS has a job to do and may think the case does not have a realistic chance of success, but sometimes we should take a chance and let a jury decide.”
Senior CPS officials are meeting leading communal figures over the next week to provide further explanation as to why charges were dropped after six cars, emblazoned with Palestinian flags, drove in the direction of Golders Green and the North Circular, with the passengers making clearly audible threats.
A CST spokesperson told Jewish News yesterday: “This was an appalling and blatant incident in broad daylight, captured on film in real time and it is outrageous that nobody is going to be held to account for what happened.
“We have met with the CPS to discuss the case and we understand the legal reasons why they feel a prosecution cannot go ahead, but the outcome is that the Jewish community has been let down by a criminal justice system that has failed in its core task.
“Wherever the blame for this lies between the police and the CPS we hope that everyone involved in this investigation and aborted prosecution will review their actions to learn the lessons of this failure.”
Nick Price, head of the CPS’ special crime and counter-terrorism division, told Jewish News the service knew “how disappointing” the decision would be for the community.
“However, we would not be able to prove to a court that one of the two charged individuals was in the car at the time of the captured footage. We could also not demonstrate that the second person had participated in the conduct to the criminal standard. “
Jewish KCs Simon Myerson and Lord Wolfson called for the CPS to clarify its decision. The CPS tweeted in response: “We have explored all options in order to prosecute in this case, including consulting external counsel.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was exploring whether it can bring a private prosecution and whether it could “bring a judicial review against the CPS”.
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