A haredi man who walked down the street with his son in Ashdod's Sixth Quarter on Friday night was violently attacked by two teens riding scooters. The incident is the newest in a string of similar assaults in the area, but most of them have not been reported to the police.
The victim was walking home from synagogue when he suddenly felt a strong blow to his head. "I was walking down Dov Gur Street, and my shtreimel (fur hat) flew off my head."
"I saw two teen boys on a scooter who disappeared quickly, but weren't afraid of being exposed. A short time later, I saw them again, riding around and apparently looking for another victim.
According to locals, the two suspects work systematically. They ride their scooter together, attack their victims with fists and other devices, and quickly flee.
Not long ago, a group of girls was attacked by teens on a scooter who sprayed pepper spray at them. From the descriptions, it would seem that the assailants were the same as those who attacked the man on Friday.
A police official clarified that the main issue is the lack of official complaints being filed. "The police will deal with these incidents with great severity the moment complaints are filed," the official stated. "Without complaints, it's difficult for us to act."