Australian Judge Says Synagogue Arsonist Acted Due to Mental Illness, Not Hate
MELBOURNE — A Melbourne magistrate ruled on Monday that a man who set fire to a synagogue while worshippers gathered inside was driven by severe mental illness rather than antisemitic motives. The decision came amid heightened community tensions and a national rise in religiously motivated incidents.
Angelo Loras, 35, pleaded guilty to arson and recklessly endangering life after dousing the entrance of the East Melbourne Synagogue with flammable liquid and igniting it on July 4. Approximately 20 people were inside the building sharing a Shabbat meal at the time. Fortunately, no one sustained injuries.
While the attack initially raised alarms as a potential hate crime, Magistrate Malcolm Thomas concluded that Loras acted under the influence of acute schizophrenia. The court heard that Loras had ceased taking prescribed medication, leading to paranoid delusions at the time of the offense.
“He was experiencing a terrifying delusion that led him to believe he was under threat,” Thomas explained during the sentencing. “His actions were not motivated by prejudice against the Jewish community.”
Loras received a four-month prison sentence, a term shorter than the 138 days he had already served in pre-trial detention. He was released following the hearing but must comply with a 20-month treatment order for his schizophrenia and perform unpaid community service.
The ruling contrasted with initial public reactions to the incident. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had condemned the attack shortly after it occurred, calling it a “cowardly act of violence and antisemitism” that has no place in Australia.
The East Melbourne Synagogue, also known as the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, was the target of one of several recent incidents affecting Jewish institutions. Australian authorities have previously attributed another synagogue arson in Melbourne to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, describing it as a deliberate attempt to disrupt social harmony. Iran has denied involvement.
Loras, a former forklift driver from Sydney with no prior criminal record, had been homeless for an extended period before the attack. He told investigators he believed the synagogue was a residential building.
Magistrate Thomas advised the congregation against seeking restitution for the 54,000 Australian dollars ($35,000) in damages, noting Loras’s lack of financial means.
The July 4 arson was one of several troubling incidents in Melbourne that weekend. In separate events, masked protesters harassed diners at an Israeli-owned restaurant, and vandals damaged a business and set fire to vehicles in what police described as acts containing antisemitic references.
As Australia continues to navigate a rise in reported hate incidents since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the case highlights the complex interplay between mental health, crime, and community relations.
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