Teenager Charged Following Arson Attack on Harrow Synagogue
A 17-year-old boy from Brent has been charged with arson in connection with an attack on the Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, north-west London. The youth, whose identity remains protected due to his age, is accused of "arson not endangering life" and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court today, Tuesday, 21st April.
The incident occurred at around 23:35 on Saturday evening, 18th April, when a figure dressed in dark clothing was captured on video igniting a bottle of liquid and hurling it through a window of the synagogue on Shaftesbury Avenue. Officers discovered the scene at around midnight while conducting security patrols in the area and alerted the London Fire Brigade. While the attack resulted in minor smoke damage to a room inside the building, there were no injuries or significant structural issues reported following the incident.
The 17-year-old was arrested alongside a 19-year-old man at separate addresses in north-west London on Sunday night. While the 17-year-old remains in custody, the 19-year-old has been released on bail as police continue their inquiries.
This attack is being handled by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism unit, which is currently investigating a series of six incidents targeting Jewish-related sites in London over the past few weeks. Other recent events include:
- 23rd March: Four ambulances belonging to the Jewish charity Haztola were destroyed in Golders Green during an arson attack.
- 15th April: An ignited container was thrown at the offices of Volant Media, a Persian news organisation, and a brick with petrol-filled bottles was thrown at a synagogue in Finchley.
- 17th April: A bag filled with flammable bottles was lit in the doorway of a former Jewish charity building in Hendon.
- 18th April: Bins were set on fire at a communal block in Barnet.
Investigators are examining claims of responsibility from a group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, which is suspected of having ties to the Iranian government. Authorities are working to verify these claims, as the same group has been linked to similar attacks across Europe.
