UK Police Investigate Anti-Semitic Attacks on Jewish Women
A man was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated assault following a series of incidents in north London, including an attack on a woman with a pram.
Metropolitan Police are investigating a series of assaults on Jewish women in Stamford Hill, north London, which are being treated as suspected anti-Semitic hate crimes. Video footage shows a man punching a woman in the face, who appears to be pushing a pram. This incident is part of a series of alleged attacks that occurred on Monday afternoon.
Officers were called to Upper Clapton Road at approximately 1:40 p.m. after a man was detained by Shomrim, a voluntary neighborhood watch organization. A 33-year-old man was arrested by police shortly after their arrival and remains in custody. The Met Police reported that three victims have come forward, all sustaining minor injuries.
The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA) has stated that it received reports of the same man assaulting a total of four Jewish women in the area. The CAA also indicated that two additional women may have been assaulted in the Clapton Common area.
In addition to the incidents in Stamford Hill, the arrested man has also been taken into custody on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. This charge relates to an assault on a woman, believed to be known to him, in the Islington area on Friday, October 16. Police have indicated this latter incident is unrelated to the Stamford Hill assaults and is not being treated as anti-Semitic.
Chief Inspector Erica Crawshaw described the incident as "alarming and distressing" and thanked Shomrim for their intervention. "We have launched an investigation and would ask that anyone with information that could help police, or any victims who have not yet come forward, contact us as soon as possible," Crawshaw stated. "Antisemitic behaviour and hate crime of any kind will not be tolerated."
Police have increased patrols in the Hackney area and are engaging with community leaders to provide reassurance. They are appealing for anyone with information to contact them by calling 101, quoting reference 3400/19OCT26, or to report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The reported attacks come amid an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the UK. Research published this summer indicated a significant rise in anti-Semitism within the Jewish diaspora in the UK last year. Data for the first six months of 2026 shows a 21 percent increase in reported anti-Semitic incidents compared to the same period in 2025.
Notable anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have included a terror attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester in October 2025, which resulted in the deaths of Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby.