Two students at Australia’s Yesodei HaTorah College High School were reportedly attacked while waiting for a train at the Caulfield train station in late August, according to Australian Jewish News (AJN) citing an email that was sent to parents from the school dated September 1.
“An incident took place today with two of our high school students where one was punched in the face after unprovoked antisemitic slurs directed at them," Deputy Menahel (principal) Rabbi Yosi Fromer told parents. “As our students are visibly Jewish, the school will endeavor to get professional awareness and safety training on how the students should deal with these situations.”
The students reportedly did not need medical treatment after the incident.
The school’s interim educational director, Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, told AJN, “We are very upset that two of our students were verbally and physically accosted and assaulted, unprovoked, whilst going about their business on a Sunday afternoon in a public space here in Melbourne.
“Victoria Police have been informed. We would like to thank the CSG for their support and proactive approach in ensuring that the issue is being dealt with appropriately and for working with the relevant authorities to ensure that issues like this don’t continue to happen in the future.”
Police investigate the incident
Senior Sergeant Alasdair Farrell, commander of Caulfield Police Station, confirmed to AJN that the incident was being investigated, telling the source, "It is understood a 15-year-old boy was approached by a group of youths on Sir John Monash Drive about 1:45 p.m. Police were told one of the male offenders assaulted the boy whilst another member of the group filmed the incident.
“The boy sustained minor injuries which did not require hospital treatment. The group fled the scene on foot.”
Victim's father speaks out
The father of one of the victims told the source his son was left with a “bruised jaw and bleeding in his mouth.”
One of the boys, according to the victim’s father, had attempted to seek assistance from those nearby, “but they didn’t help.”
The attackers were described as “Middle Eastern-looking teenagers” and reportedly had referred to the victims as “f***ing Jews.”