Teen Pleads Guilty to London Synagogue Arson, Says He Has No Hate Toward Jews

A 17-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to arson at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London, but stated he did not know the building was a synagogue and bore no ill will toward Jewish people.

The teenager appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, where he entered a guilty plea to arson not endangering life. Surveillance footage showed him climbing over a wall at the synagogue on Saturday night, setting fire to a bottle of liquid, and throwing it through a broken window. The fire caused smoke damage but no injuries.

In a written statement, the boy said, “I have no hate toward the Jewish people,” and added, “I am very sorry for my actions.” He was released on bail and ordered to appear at Willesden Youth Court on June 4, 2026.

Police arrested and released a 19-year-old man in connection with the incident and are still seeking two other suspects. The attack is part of a series of arson incidents targeting Jewish institutions in the UK since March 23, 2026, when four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity in Golders Green, north London, were torched. No one has been injured in any of those incidents.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said the arrests came amid a pattern of “thugs for hire” as the UK faces “the pressure of hostile states bearing into our communities.”

The synagogue attack is among several separate assaults against Britain’s Jewish community in recent weeks. Authorities continue to investigate the broader series of attacks.