A woman faces charges after allegedly making antisemitic remarks during a children’s netball match in eastern Sydney.
Authorities were alerted to the situation at Heffron Park netball courts in Maroubra shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday, following reports of offensive comments directed at a group of spectators.
At the center of this incident is a 42-year-old woman who was attending a junior netball game featuring the Saints Netball Club and the Maccabi Netball Club, which is affiliated with the Jewish community.
NSW Police responded by issuing the woman a directive to leave the premises and subsequently charged her on Sunday with using offensive language in a public setting. She is scheduled to appear in Waverley Local Court on June 17.
If convicted, the offense could result in a fine of up to $660 or the imposition of a community corrections order.
In response to the incident, Netball NSW has suspended the woman from all netball-related activities pending further investigation.
“Everyone in our netball community deserves to feel safe, welcome and respected,” it said in a statement.
“Antisemitism and discrimination of any kind have absolutely no place in our game and will not be tolerated.”
“We commend Randwick Netball Association and Saints Netball Club for their swift response, including contacting police, engaging directly with those affected and strongly condemning antisemitic behaviour.”
Saints Netball Club said in a statement on Saturday it was aware that a “supporter associated with our club” had allegedly made comments of an antisemitic nature.
“The Saints Netball Club unequivocally condemns and disavows antisemitism in all its forms. Such remarks do not reflect the values, principles or standards of our club, our members, our players, or our wider community,” it said.
Adam Dinte, president of Maccabi Netball Club, told the Sydney Morning Herald the young girls in the team were deeply distressed after the incident.
“One of the girls in our team after the game told her mother that she wanted to take her uniform off because she didn’t want to be identified as Jewish, and didn’t feel safe,” he said.
The report occurred a day after the first week of hearings at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion concluded, with many witnesses testifying about their experiences with discrimination and hostility in public places.
Feeling unsafe to practice their religion publicly, particularly after the mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah event at Bondi in December, was a common theme of the evidence given to Commissioner Virginia Bell.
— With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
