Overview
- Police charged an unnamed 20‑year‑old man on Friday, June 19, 2026, alleging he was one of three masked people who broke into the Adass Israel Synagogue and set it alight on December 6, 2024.
- He faces counts of criminal damage by fire (arson), conduct endangering life, and theft of a motor vehicle, with arson carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
- Authorities say all three people who allegedly entered the Ripponlea synagogue have now been charged; two co‑accused were arrested in July and August 2025 and are before the courts.
- The Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team said investigators believe some individuals deliberately lied to hinder the probe and that the investigation remains active with possible further arrests or charges.
- The case sits within a wider national response to rising antisemitic incidents, includes a government inquiry, led to the expulsion of Iranian diplomats after the IRGC allegation, and the synagogue will stay closed while a multi‑year rebuild is planned.