Two girls aged 13 and 14 have been arrested on suspicion of the robbery of a Jewish woman in north London.
A 20-year-old woman, who is from the orthodox Jewish community, was assaulted and had her handbag stolen in Stamford Hill on Thursday.
The Metropolitan Police said she suffered bruising and was left “very shaken”, although she didn’t need hospital treatment following the attack in Rostrevor Avenue at around 4.30pm.
Detective Sergeant Asli Benson, who has led the investigation, said: “This was a terrifying incident for the young woman who was attacked. We will continue to ensure she has the right support.
“Officers have been pursuing all available lines of enquiry since the incident and these arrests are a very positive development.
“It would have been obvious from her appearance that she was Jewish and there has been significant concern that she was targeted for that reason.”
DS Benson said police are “keeping an open mind” about the motive, adding: “We are treating this as a possible hate crime.”
“In the current climate, when fears and uncertainty in the wider Jewish community are heightened following the terror attacks in Israel and the subsequent rise in antisemitic hate crime here in London, these concerns are entirely understandable,” the officer added.
Police said the suspects were identified from CCTV images, which suggested they were wearing school uniform.
Detectives worked with school officers and staff, while members of the public also provided information.
The girls were arrested on suspicion of robbery at around 12pm on Saturday at an address in Haringey and remain in custody.