Police to visit private girls’ school where ‘kill Jews’ was daubed in toilet

A police Safter Schools team is to visit a north London girls’ private school next month after antisemitic graffiti was daubed in a lavatory.

A Nazi swastika sign and the words “kill Jews” were discovered on the wall of the toilet at the £24,000-a-year Channing School in Highgate last month. The school reported the incident both to the police and to the Community Security Trust. It has since “exhausted all reasonable lines of enquiry” and “emphasised that bystanders and those who know the perpetrator have a responsibility to speak up”.

Writing to parents on Friday, headmistress Lindsey Hughes said: “We have spent countless hours reviewing CCTV footage, interviewing students, and providing significant pastoral support, as well as putting in place a comprehensive education programme designed to educate and inform students on the situation in the Middle East and the dangers of all forms of discrimination including antisemitism.

“We updated the police and the CST on our progress this week. They told us that we have exhausted all reasonable lines of enquiry at present but added that if new information comes to light, they will help us follow up any new lines of enquiry immediately.  They commended us for being proactive and engaged, actively looking for support and advice and following up every lead.”

She added: “In their view the investigation is now a safeguarding issue and the focus should be on education.  The police Safer Schools team will come into school next term to talk to students and highlight that this behaviour is completely unacceptable. They will also emphasise that bystanders and those who know the perpetrator have a responsibility to speak up.

“We will continue our efforts to educate the whole school community on the dangers of discrimination and the importance of our unitarian values of kindness, respect and tolerance so that we can continue to be the warm, supportive community we strive to be.”