Swastika daubed on car

A MOTHER of three whose 20-year-old son’s car was daubed with a swastika last week has been left rattled following the incident.

The woman, who requested not to be named, explained that she discovered the vandalism outside her Bentleigh home last Wednesday morning.

She told The AJN that she now feels “nervous” as her husband works night shifts and she is often home alone with her 12-year-old when the older children are out of the house.

“There’s enough hate in the world. You don’t want to be persecuted; you want to be able to walk the streets and feel safe,” she said.

The woman feared her son had been singled out “I felt quite unsafe that someone was targeting my son as a racial thing. Because if they’re crazy enough to do that, you don’t know what they can do,” she told The AJN on Monday.

However, The AJN has since spoken to Victoria Police who confirmed that there were a number of vehicles graffitied in the street around the same time, and it therefore doesn’t appear to be a targeted attack. A spokesperson added that the investigation was ongoing.

Chairman of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) Dr Dvir Abramovich has sharply condemned the incident as a “craven and repugnant display of intolerance”.

“This cowardly vandalism reminds us that hate still remains strong right in our own neighbourhoods, and how important it is to continue our fight against the growing problem of anti-Semitism,” Abramovich said.

“The family affected should know that they are not alone, and the entire community stands firmly with them in speaking up against the scourge of anti-Semitism and religious vilification.

“Melbourne is a welcoming and multicultural city, where all members should be able to live together harmoniously and safe from such attacks.”

PHOEBE ROTH

Anyone with information should contact Caulfield Police Station on (03) 9524 9500 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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