London police arrested a man suspected of a brutal assault on a pregnant woman in the heavily Jewish Stamford Hill section of the city.
By World Israel News Staff
Following a vicious assault on a pregnant Orthodox Jewish woman in London’s Stamford Hill neighborhood last Thursday, local law enforcement arrested a suspect on Monday.
The attack was caught on closed circuit video by the Jewish community security group Shomrim and showed the assailant jamming a black plastic bag over the head of the 20-year-old victim.
The assailant then punched the woman in the stomach multiple times. The victim is reportedly 28-weeks pregnant.
The Metropolitan Police identified the suspect as a man in his late 50s. He was “arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm on Monday,” the BBC reported.
“A Met spokesperson confirmed the victim had received minor injuries but ‘was now okay,'” added the BBC report, which quoted as a police spokesperson as referencing “similar incidents in the area.”
The police spokesperson said the incidents are not being linked.
According to Shomrim, there have been five other assaults on Jewish women during the past month in the surrounding area, where a large number of Orthodox Jews live.
The incident last Thursday, however, remains the most serious attack. It not only occurred in broad daylight, but the man, who did not obscure his face, stalked the woman, following her into an alleyway where he attacked her.
“We are extremely disturbed by the vile attack on a pregnant Jewish woman in Stamford Hill. We hope that the perpetrator is swiftly caught and faces justice,” tweeted the Board of Deputies of British Jews prior to the arrest. “The attacker’s face was caught on video and we urge anyone who may be aware of his identity to contact the police.”
The American Jewish Committee similarly tweeted, “We are horrified by the vicious assault on a pregnant Jewish woman in London.”