Attacked children and pulled a Jew's beard: suspended prison sentence for a woman in an antisemitic incident in the UK
According to the indictment, 39-year-old Saida Khatun attacked children, shouted curses at a mother with a baby, and hit a man. Khatun was convicted on five counts of aggravated offenses. Since the beginning of the year, 1,926 antisemitic incidents have been reported in the UK — an increase of 21% compared to the same period in 2025.
The Stratford Magistrates' Court sentenced 39-year-old Saida Khatun from Hackney last Thursday to a 12-month suspended prison sentence for two years, after she was convicted of attacking Jewish children outside an ultra-Orthodox boys' school in Stamford Hill and pulling the beard of a 35-year-old father who was protecting them.
The antisemitic incident occurred on May 10 around 18:30. Police were called following a report of a 15-year-old boy being punched. According to the indictment, Khatun approached children standing at the school gate after a trip, shouted antisemitic curses at a mother with a baby, and when the father asked why she was attacking the children, she hit him in the face and pulled his beard while continuing to shout curses.
She was convicted on five counts of aggravated offenses motivated by racism. Her sentence was increased from 8 to 12 months after the court accepted the prosecution's position that this was a hate crime. However, the increase remained only on paper — Khatun will not serve a single day in prison.
"This was a shocking attack," said Rajesh Singh, senior prosecutor at the North London Crown Prosecution Service, after the sentencing. "Saida Khatun targeted people in an antisemitic manner in a public place, including children waiting outside their school. Violence motivated by antisemitic hatred is disgusting, and no one should have to fear in their daily life because of their race, religion, or identity."
"We understand that concerns remain high among Jewish communities"
Furthermore, Singh claimed: "We also managed to request that the court recognize Khatun was motivated by hostility towards the Jewish origin of the victims, which was reflected in the severe punishment she received. I hope this result will reassure the public, and especially the Jewish community, that hate crimes will be prosecuted decisively."
Local police commander Brittany Clark also condemned Khatun's actions: "This was a heinous attack against young people from our Jewish community in Stamford Hill. We take these types of cases very seriously." Clark stated that officers arrived at the scene within minutes, and detectives worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure Khatun was brought to court two days after the incident.
"We understand that concerns remain high among Jewish communities in London," she added. "The police continue to operate an increased policing plan that focuses our resources on vulnerable areas."
Indeed, this incident is not an isolated case. The attack occurred on Amhurst Park, the main street in the Stamford Hill neighborhood — the heart of the largest ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community in Europe. In recent years, the neighborhood has lived under a wave of threats, stabbings, and humiliations, despite police promises to increase security.
1,926 antisemitic incidents — an increase of 21% compared to 2025
In the first half of 2026, antisemitism in the UK has escalated beyond mere protests and street curses. The CST, the security organization for Jewish communities in the UK, reported 1,926 incidents — an increase of 21% compared to the same period in 2025. The most significant jump was in violent incidents: 135 physical assaults, a surge of 82% and a record for any half-year since records began.
At the same time, schools also reached a peak: 178 incidents harmed students, staff, or educational institutions. Jewish communities warn that every antisemitic attack gives birth to a wave of harassment, from the stabbing of individuals to the arson of Hatzalah ambulances and fires in synagogues.
