Police are investigating a possible hate crime after a “terrified” Jewish woman was violently assaulted and robbed in north London.
Footage of the attack has been circulated online after it was tweeted by the neighbourhood watch group Shomrim.
The 20-year-old woman was walking along Rostrevor Avenue in Stamford Hill at about 4.30pm on Thursday when two women approached her from behind.
One of the women, wearing what appears to be a dark red coat, slapped the victim on the back of the head – and she rapidly crossed the road to escape.
But the attackers caught up with her and pushed her onto a car bonnet, where they hit her on the head and grabbed her bag.
The victim was pulled to the pavement as the pair kicked and punched her – and at one point, one of them knelt down to land a series of blows.
Other people walked past and the pair left the scene. Eventually, people stopped to help the victim – and the Metropolitan Police said the suspects ran off towards the A10 nearby.
The force is keeping an open mind about the motive for the attack.
The woman was left bruised but did not need to go to hospital.
Shomrim called it a “vicious, racist attack” that left the victim “unconscious”.
Detective Inspector Mike Herrick, who is leading the investigation from the robbery unit, said the woman was terrified.
He said: “This was a shocking incident and terrifying experience for the victim who was lucky to not receive more serious injuries.
“We don’t underestimate the psychological impact of offences such as these and we are offering her every support as we work to identify the suspects.
“We know footage of the incident has been widely shared on social media and understand that there will be added concerns about the motivation behind the attack.
“We will of course keep an open mind about the motive and continue to work closely with the local community to allay any fears.”