SYDNEY, November 24. /TASS/. The attacker who set fire to a Melbourne synagogue in early July committed the crime due to an attack of schizophrenia and was not guided by anti-Semitic motives. The Associated Press (AP) reported that the judge reviewing the case reached this conclusion.
According to the court ruling, Angelo Loras, 35, refused to take prescribed schizophrenia medication before setting the fire. The defendant fully admitted his guilt, the court sentenced him to 4 months in prison, and also ordered him to undergo a 20-month treatment process. Additionally, the court recommended that Melbourne's Jewish community not file a claim for damages against Loras, as he was homeless and would not be able to pay the required amount. Before committing the crime, Loras worked as a forklift driver and had no criminal record.
An attacker set fire to a Melbourne synagogue on July 4, 2025, while worshipers were there. No one was injured after the incident. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initially called the incident “a cowardly act of violence and anti-Semitism has no place in Australian society.”
In August, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Service, Mike Burgess, reported a significant increase in anti-Semitic attacks in the country since the outbreak of conflict in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
