He faces up to 25 years in prison.
These charges suggest that he assaulted at least six people when initially the police had spoken of five people injured and hospitalized.
One of the injured, Josef Neumann, 72, who was hit in particular in the head, is still in critical condition. His family have said they fear he will not make it.
PHOTO SETH WENIG, AP
Josef Neumann’s family
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Grafton Thomas is accused of having entered the home of a rabbi on Saturday evening, armed with a large knife, and of having struck several of the many people who came to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
He was also charged with five counts at the federal level, for “hate crimes”. This category of offenses includes people targeted for their ethnicity, religion, sexual identity or disability.
According to court documents, Grafton Thomas had, before the attack, expressed in writing anti-Semitic ideas, referring to “Nazi culture” and drawing swastikas.
According to American media, the police are also examining the possibility that he was the author of another stabbing attack against an Orthodox Jew on November 20, in Ramapo, also in Rockland County.
When questioned, the Ramapo police did not confirm this information.
Grafton Thomas pleaded not guilty in his first appearance on December 29. His family and lawyer said he suffered from mental illness and had already been hospitalized several times.
The attack in Monsey, home to a large Orthodox Jewish community, has heightened fears among American Jews, who have faced increasing anti-Semitic acts in recent years, particularly in the New York area.
New York’s mayor and governor have stepped up protections for Jewish community sites, and President Donald Trump has called for “eradicating the scourge of anti-Semitism.”
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Related
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Grafton Thomas, 37, was charged with six counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault, three additional counts of attempted assault, and two counts of burglary, according to the Rockland County District Attorney, which includes the city of Monsey, 50 km north of New York, where the attack took place.
PHOTO JEENAH MOON, REUTERS
The rabbi’s house where the assault took place
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He faces up to 25 years in prison.
These charges suggest that he assaulted at least six people when initially the police had spoken of five people injured and hospitalized.
One of the injured, Josef Neumann, 72, who was hit in particular in the head, is still in critical condition. His family have said they fear he will not make it.
PHOTO SETH WENIG, AP
Josef Neumann’s family
–
Grafton Thomas is accused of having entered the home of a rabbi on Saturday evening, armed with a large knife, and of having struck several of the many people who came to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
He was also charged with five counts at the federal level, for “hate crimes”. This category of offenses includes people targeted for their ethnicity, religion, sexual identity or disability.
According to court documents, Grafton Thomas had, before the attack, expressed in writing anti-Semitic ideas, referring to “Nazi culture” and drawing swastikas.
According to American media, the police are also examining the possibility that he was the author of another stabbing attack against an Orthodox Jew on November 20, in Ramapo, also in Rockland County.
When questioned, the Ramapo police did not confirm this information.
Grafton Thomas pleaded not guilty in his first appearance on December 29. His family and lawyer said he suffered from mental illness and had already been hospitalized several times.
The attack in Monsey, home to a large Orthodox Jewish community, has heightened fears among American Jews, who have faced increasing anti-Semitic acts in recent years, particularly in the New York area.
New York’s mayor and governor have stepped up protections for Jewish community sites, and President Donald Trump has called for “eradicating the scourge of anti-Semitism.”
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