The father of an eight-year-old boy who was beaten up on his way home and called a ‘stupid Jew’ has said his son avoids going outside after the attack.
When the child does leave the house, he ‘looks over his shoulder’ due to his continued trauma following the assault near Stamford Hill, north London.
It was among 32 anti-Semitic attacks on Orthodox Charedi Jews in the area over one month that London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he will ‘urgently’ investigate.
Others, recorded by Jewish community group Stamford Hill Shomrim, included a boy, 11, who was threatened with violence if he did not remove his skullcap.
The father of the eight-year-old told MailOnline: ‘He was very upset and shaken by the experience.
‘He keeps looking over his shoulder whenever he’s out and about, he regularly tries to avoid going outside, and he feels insecure.’
The boy was walking home in South Tottenham at 7.15pm on September 11 when a man grabbed him, lifted his jumper and scratched his back.
Afterwards, the child ran home crying. The father, who did not wish to be named, welcomed the Mayor’s promise of action.
He said: ‘History has shown us that if antisemitism is not challenged and dealt with robustly, it just gets worse and worse.’
Shomrim believes the 32 incidents are ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, as hate crimes are under-reported.
Responding to a question from London Assembly Member Andrew Dismore about the group’s report, Mr Khan said: ‘That number of reports in a single month is of concern.
‘Both I and the police agree that hate crime is under-reported and this is particularly true with regard to hate crime affecting London’s Orthodox Jewish communities.’
Stamford Hill Shomrim said their study recorded an average of eight anti-Semitic incidents a week, including assaults and threats to kill.
Men were more likely to be targeted than women, possibly because their clothing is more visibly identifiable as Jewish.
President Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE, said: ‘I welcome the response from the Mayor of London.
‘I look forward to Shomrim working closely with the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police in challenging and reducing anti-Semitic incidents targeted at the Charedi Jewish Community.’
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘We are investigating and have not made any arrests.’ Anyone with information can phone 101.
