A man in his 40s has been arrested following the attempted assault and kidnapping of a 12-year-old Orthodox boy and his two-year-old sibling in Stamford Hill.
The incident occurred at midday on Thursday, June 13, outside the Lubavitch House Synagogue and was captured on CCTV.
The young boy, a member of the Charedi community, was walking past the synagogue while pushing his sibling in a buggy. A white male suspect in his 40s approached and attempted to forcefully take the buggy.
When the boy resisted, the suspect pulled his payos (side curls) and knocked off his kippah. The boy’s cries for help alerted nearby individuals. The suspect then released the boy, who ran away in shock.
The suspect was apprehended by Jewish community members who witnessed the incident. They detained him until police arrived and made the arrest.
Authorities are urging anyone with further information to contact the Metropolitan Police in Hackney or Shomrim, quoting reference 01/446194/24.
Since October 7th, more than 238 hate crimes within the Charedi Orthodox Stamford Hill community have been reported to Shomrim. Photo by Daniel Lobo, Wikimedia commons.