Sickening attack: Vandal’s target Jewish home

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a home in Malvern was vandalised with anti-Semitic slogans and swastikas, describing the brazen attack as “targeted” and “racially motivated”.

The words “Jewish pig” were spray-painted on the wall of the Jewish family home, alongside several large swastikas, but Detective Briony Baird from Malvern’s Crime Investigation Unit, told The AJN the investigation had yielded no reults.

“It’s being treated as serious,” Baird said. “It’s being treated as racially motivated and we’re really just looking for something to go on. Anything that might be helpful at all would be greatly appreciated on our behalf.”

The owner of the house, who asked to remain anonymous, said his family was “traumatised” by the attack, which occurred around 1.45am on Thursday last week.

“At 6.30 [in the morning] my wife went out to walk the dogs and found all this out there,” the man said.

“It was definitely a targeted attack, because we’re the only Jewish family in the street and it was clearly only on our property. There’s no mezuzah or anything else outside that indicates we’re Jewish, so it’s obviously someone who knows we’re Jewish.

“It has been traumatic for the family, particularly the children.”

The man contacted the Community Security Group (CSG) 24-hour emergency line, but said the call was not properly forwarded and there was no response. He said a senior CSG member later “apologised profusely” for the error.

CSG executive director Simon Glynn said the company that handled the organisation’s phone service had gone into administration the day before the attack and failed to inform CSG. He said the problem had been rectified and stressed the emergency line was down for less than two hours.

“As soon as we realised there was an issue … we changed the call forwarding on the phone,” Glynn said.

B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Anton Block said that while there had been relatively few attacks of this nature so far in 2011, a zero-tolerance approach must be taken. “It’s really saddening that this sort of trespass and attack on someone’s home is still happening in 2011,” Block told The AJN.

Anyone with any information should contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

ADAM KAMIEN