Rise in antisemitic incidents will see hate crime prosecutions fast-tracked

Politics
6 May 2026 • 12:31 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Rise in antisemitic incidents will see hate crime prosecutions fast-tracked

  • The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for England and Wales, Stephen Parkinson, has announced that hate crime prosecutions will be fast-tracked.
  • This measure is in response to a 'deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents' and a 'pattern of copycat antisemitism' across the country.
  • New guidance allows prosecutors to make swift charging decisions once the evidential threshold is met, with supporting evidence to be obtained subsequently.
  • Recent incidents include arson attacks at Jewish sites in London, a double stabbing in Golders Green, and a suspected arson at a former synagogue.
  • Sir Keir Starmer has warned Iran against stirring up violence in the UK, and the DPP supports proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps if it strengthens prosecution capabilities.

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