Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating a potential hate crime after a Holocaust memorial in Plymouth was vandalised.
Overnight on January 29, an attempt was apparently made to remove a plaque located in the Peace Garden on Plymouth Hoe that was dedicated to “all victims of genocide”. The memorial stone to which the plaque is fixed was damaged, as was the stone plinth upon which it sits.
The force said that the attempted vandalism was carried out between 9pm on January 29 and 10am the next day, which fell in the same week as Holocaust Memorial Day.
A spokesperson for the force said: "Police are continuing to investigate a report of criminal damage to Plymouth’s Holocaust Memorial and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
"The incident is being treated as a hate crime.”
The officer leading the investigation, PC Stacey Vidler, added: “While a crime like this is rare, it has understandably caused great distress to members of the Jewish Community.”
The simple memorial was unveiled on 27 January 2018 to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. It consists of a raised plaque on the ground engraved with the words: “Plymouth Holocaust Memorial. For all victims of genocide.”
Officers are asking for anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious near the memorial around the time of the offence to contact them online or by telephone on 101, quoting crime reference 50250024550.
