British police have confirmed charges against a 45-year-old man following the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London, an incident that authorities are treating as part of a series of hate-related attacks.
According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police, the suspect identified as Essa Suleiman faces two counts of attempted murder as well as one count of possession of a bladed weapon in a public place.
The charges relate to an attack that occurred on Wednesday in Golders Green.
The assault, which took place in broad daylight, targeted two men aged 76 and 34. Both victims were taken to hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.
The suspect, a British national originally born in Somalia who moved to the UK during childhood, is believed to have a history involving serious violence and mental health challenges. Authorities also confirmed that he had previously been referred to the UK’s counter-radicalisation programme, Prevent, in 2020.
In response to growing concerns over community safety, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans on Thursday to strengthen security measures for Jewish communities following criticism that authorities had not done enough to prevent such incidents.
Later that same day, the UK Home Office raised the national terrorism threat level to “severe,” the second-highest classification on its five-point scale, indicating that an attack is considered highly likely within the next six months.
Officials said Suleiman is expected to appear in court for his initial hearing on Friday.
