Woman convicted after antisemitic attack on children outside Jewish school

A woman has been convicted after directing antisemitic abuse at children outside a Jewish secondary school in north London before assaulting a father who challenged her behaviour.

Syeda Khatun, 39, was found guilty at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 3 July, over the attack, which happened outside a school in Stamford Hill on 10 May.

The court heard that Khatun approached pupils who were waiting outside the school gates after returning from a school trip. After shouting antisemitic abuse at a mother pushing a baby, she turned towards the children and began aggressively swinging her arms at them.

When the father of one of the children asked why she was targeting youngsters, Khatun struck him in the face, pulled his beard and continued shouting antisemitic abuse.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges within 24 hours of receiving evidence from the Metropolitan Police. Prosecutors said eyewitness testimony and CCTV footage formed a strong case against Khatun.

She was convicted of three counts of racially aggravated assault, one count of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count of using racially aggravated words and behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress.

She is due to be sentenced at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 24 July.

Ragvesh Singh, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, said: “This was a shocking attack where Syeda Khatun targeted people with antisemitic abuse in a public place, including children who were waiting outside their school.

“When challenged about her behaviour, she went on to assault a member of the public while continuing to make antisemitic remarks.

“Violence motivated by antisemitic hatred is abhorrent, and nobody should have to fear going about their daily life because of their race, religion or identity.

“I hope this outcome reassures the public, particularly the Jewish community, that hate crime will be prosecuted robustly and offenders will be brought to justice.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the area, said: “This was a despicable assault on young members of our Jewish community in Stamford Hill.

“We take incidents of this nature extremely seriously. Officers were on scene within minutes of the assault being reported to police. Detectives then worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure Khatun was charged and brought before the courts two days after the incident.

“We understand that concerns remain high within London’s Jewish communities. The Met continues to have an enhanced policing plan in place that focuses our resources around vulnerable areas to protect communities, disrupt offenders and tackle crime.”

The conviction comes amid continued concern over antisemitism incidents in London, following a series of attacks targeting members of the Jewish community in recent months.