Police Investigate Series of Antisemitic Incidents at Children's Sporting Events
Police are investigating a series of alleged antisemitic incidents at children's sporting events in Sydney and Melbourne. In one case, a woman has been charged with offensive language following an incident at a netball game. Separately, a Victorian school has reported a pattern of similar incidents.
Incident at Heffron Park, Maroubra
New South Wales Police responded to a report of offensive comments made during an under-12 netball match at Heffron Park in Maroubra on Saturday, May 31, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM. The match was between the Maccabi Netball Club and Saints Netball Club.
A 42-year-old woman, identified by multiple sources as Jody Scarcella, was spoken to at the scene and issued a move-on direction. She was not arrested. The following day, she was charged with using offensive language in or near a public place or school and issued a Court Attendance Notice. She is scheduled to appear at Waverley Local Court on June 17, 2026.
Netball Australia's interim CEO, Mark Falvo, stated that the individual has been "provisionally suspended from attending or participating in any netball activities or attending netball locations while the matter is investigated."
Statements from Witnesses and Officials
Multiple sources report that the woman allegedly said "F--- the Jews" and stated that Jewish people "should have been eradicated." The comment was reportedly made in front of Jewish parents, including a mother who had testified at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion earlier that week.
"There's a reason why this happens to you people every weekend."
— Alleged comment from a Saints club parent, as reported by Alex Ryvchin
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, stated that he attended the scene after the incident. Ryvchin said the woman repeated the comment after being asked to do so by a bystander. He also reported that parents from the Saints club defended the woman, with one man allegedly stating, "There's a reason why this happens to you people every weekend."
Responses from Organizations
Saints Netball Club issued a statement condemning antisemitism and offering apologies to the Jewish community, stating the remarks do not reflect their values.
Randwick Netball Association stated it will not tolerate antisemitic or discriminatory behavior and is working with Netball NSW to investigate.
Maccabi Netball Club president Adam Dinte called the incident unacceptable and stated the club is cooperating with police and the Community Security Group and is writing a formal complaint to the Randwick Netball Association and the opposing club.
NSW Jewish Board of Presidents president David Ossip called for a swift investigation and said there should be no tolerance for racism in children's sport.
Maccabi Australia CEO Mandy Penkin described the incident as "horrifying" but "unsurprising."
NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe described the incident as "absolutely unacceptable."
Context
The incident occurred following the first week of public hearings of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. During the hearings, AJAX Football Club president Daniel Onas testified about a rise in antisemitic incidents in community sport.
David Goldman, general manager of Maccabi Australia, cited a survey of 670 Maccabi members where nearly half had witnessed or experienced antisemitism in sport, noting a spike since October 7, 2023.
Additional Incident at Archer Park, Bondi
In a separate incident, a 67-year-old woman was charged with offensive language following an incident at Archer Park, the site of the December 2024 Bondi terror attack, on Wednesday afternoon. Police were called after the woman allegedly confronted a group—which included Jewish community leaders, a survivor of the attack, and Sydney Swans players—and made abusive comments, including the phrase "Evil Zionist". The woman was issued a court attendance notice and is expected to appear at Waverley Court in September.
Incidents Reported at Mount Scopus Memorial College, Melbourne
A 14-year-old student from Mount Scopus Memorial College reported seeing a student from another private school perform a Nazi salute during an interschool swimming carnival. Principal Dan Sztrajt said the school has dealt with approximately one antisemitic incident at interschool sports every five to six weeks.
Recent incidents reported by the school include:
- At a year 9 soccer game, a team allegedly shouted "let's go kill those Jews"
- At another game, a student allegedly yelled "JGA" (understood to refer to "Jewish gassing association")
- A year 11 student playing senior school girls football was allegedly called a "fat Jew". The opposing student denied the slur, and without corroborating witnesses, the matter was not pursued
Sztrajt stated that antisemitic incidents have increased since the Gaza war began in 2023. The Victorian Antisemitism Report 2025 found reported antisemitic incidents against Jewish students rose from 8 in 2022 to 79 in 2025.
Other reported incidents include:
- In 2024, the words "Jew die" were painted on the school fence
- In July 2024, a group of boys from Gladstone Park Secondary College allegedly called 10-year-old children "dirty Jews" on a Melbourne Museum excursion
- In March 2025, students from Crookwell High School allegedly made an antisemitic remark to a year 6 Mount Scopus student at Questacon in Canberra
Independent Schools Victoria is hosting a roundtable on June 19, 2025, to discuss tackling antisemitism. Mount Scopus runs an outreach program where non-Jewish students visit and learn about Judaism; about 30 schools and 6,500-7,000 students have participated over the past 10 years.