Three Jewish students were subjected to a vile anti-Semitic abuse by members of a Cambridge university drinking society, allegations have emerged. Two victims have gone on to accuse the University authorities of failing to investigate the attack properly and 'hushing up' the anti-semitic attack, The Daily Telegraph has reported.
The students were apparently set upon by a mob after they entered the graduate union building in Mill Lane, Cambridge, at the end of last month. One of the victims, Shlomo Roiter-Jesner, 25, who is studying politics at Hughes Hall, told The Daily Telegraph: “It was a closed party so we walked out but as we did so these individuals started getting more physical and more vocal and they noticed our kippot [Jewish skullcaps].
“All of a sudden they were shouting: 'Jew, get f------ out of here’. We tried to leave but they were yelling at us.”
The newspaper reported that in an email to Professor Jane Stapleton, master of Christ’s College, sent a day after the attacks, another of the Jewish students, who does not wish to be named, wrote: “We heard shouting and were literally grabbed and pulled out of the building by about seven large, intimidating males.
“We, and other bystanders, heard a number of vicious anti-Semitic slurs including 'f------ Jew, you don’t belong here’, 'dirty Jew’ and to myself, 'f--- off, darkie’.
"They then proceeded to try and choke my friend with his scarf, leaving him gasping for oxygen, and to push me and the third friend around, despite our attempts to de-escalate the situation. They eventually went back in after threatening to 'smash our faces in’.”
Prof Stapleton wrote in response that the trio had every right to take the matter to police but if they chose not to do so the college would order an immediate inquiry. The college obtained CCTV footage of the attack but it contained no audio recording.
On November 18, Mr Roiter-Jesner received a perfunctory response from Prof Stapleton. “The internal disciplinary process of the tutors is now concluded and two students have been disciplined. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention,” she wrote.
The victims were reportedly dismayed by the reply, who now feel that the anti-Semitic attack has gone unrecognised.
Prof Stapleton told the daily newspaper: “The internal investigation did succeed in identifying two Christ’s students who admitted using foul language and participating in a scuffle but they denied initiating the physical hostility and denied using any anti-Semitic or racist language. In relation to the former they were disciplined.”
She added: “I reject categorically that Christ’s has engaged in a cover-up on this matter.”
