Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, said:

“Recent events, including the appalling attack on members of the Jewish community in London, come against a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country. I recognise the profound fear, distress, and anger that many Jewish people and families are experiencing and my thoughts remain with the victims of Wednesday’s attack. No one should feel unsafe because of who they are or their faith.

“Antisemitic hate crime is not only an attack on individuals - it is an attack on the values of respect, tolerance, and the rule of law that underpin our society.

“Let me be clear: those who commit antisemitic crimes will be held accountable. The CPS will use the full force of the law to ensure those responsible are prosecuted robustly and swiftly and justice is done. 

“We are working closely with police partners to ensure that cases are built strongly from the outset and that perpetrators are brought before the courts swiftly. There  is a strong public interest in taking a zero tolerance approach to these hate-infected crimes.  Accordingly, where offences are proven to be motivated by hostility based on religion or ethnicity we will make full use of the powers open to us to prosecute these as aggravated offences which attract longer sentences in court.

“We are engaging directly with Jewish communities to ensure their voices are heard and concerns addressed. To anyone who has experienced or witnessed antisemitic abuse or violence, I encourage you to report it to police. Your reports matter - they enable us to work with policing to take action and ensure that offenders face justice.”