US man sentenced to 53 years in prison for fatally stabbing Muslim boy in Islamophobic hate crimeTopic:Law, Crime and Justice1h ago1 hours agoFri 2 May 2025 at 8:44pmIllinois man Joseph Czuba killed Palestinian-American boy Wadee Alfayoumi days after Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023. (AP: Charles Rex Arbogast)In short:A man has been sentenced to 53 years in a US prison after a jury convicted him of killing a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy and severely stabbing his mother in an October 2023 hate crime incident.Joseph Czuba from Illinois stabbed and killed Wadee Alfayoumi and injured Hanan Shaheen, in one of the worst US hate crimes since the start of Israel's war in Gaza.What's next?Wadee's father, Odai Alfayoumi, has filed a separate lawsuit against Czuba and the US Department of Justice has launched a federal hate crimes investigation.abc.net.au/news/us-man-jailed-over-wadee-alfayoumi-stabbing-death-hate-crime/105246924Link copiedShareShare articleA man has been sentenced to 53 years in a United States prison after a jury convicted him of the killing of a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy and the severe stabbing of his mother in an October 2023 hate crime incident.Illinois man Joseph Czuba, 73, stabbed and killed Wadee Alfayoumi and knifed Hanan Shaheen days after Israel began its war on Gaza after the October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian Hamas militants.Prosecutors said the stabbing, which was one of the worst hate crime incidents in the US since the start of the war in Gaza, was sparked by anti-Muslim hatred. Warning: This story includes graphic details.Vigils were held in Wadee Alfayoumi's honour in October 2023, attended by the boy's father, Oday Al Fayoume (right), and his great-uncle, Mahmoud Yousef. (AP: Nam Y Huh)The prison sentence handed down on Friday local time by Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak included 30 years for the child's murder, 20 years for the attempted murder of his mother and three years for a hate crime, local prosecutors said.“No sentence can restore what was taken, but today’s outcome delivers a necessary measure of justice,” said Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of the Council On American Islamic Relations in Chicago."Wadee was an innocent child. He was targeted because of who he was — Muslim, Palestinian, and loved."Czuba, who was Ms Shaheen's landlord, stabbed the boy 26 times with a military-style knife with an 18-centimetre serrated blade, authorities said. Ms Shaheen suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack that occurred in Plainfield Township, about 60 kilometres south-west of Chicago.Czuba was found guilty in February, and Ms Shaheen testified during the trial that he told her "you, as a Muslim, must die."The 73-year-old had earlier pleaded not guilty. His defence attorney claimed prosecutors appealed to the jury's emotions.Mahmoud Yousef told reporters outside the courtroom in Illinois that Czuba had robbed his family of the plans they had for Wadee's life. (AP: Pat Nabong / Chicago Sun-Times)Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s office issued a statement after the sentencing, calling Czuba a “morally reprehensible killer" and said the impact of his actions was “truly unfathomable.”Wadee's great-uncle, Mahmoud Yousef, was the only family member who spoke during the sentencing hearing. He said that no jail term would be long enough. The boy's parents had plans for him and Czuba robbed them of that, he said.Court told of frantic emergency callEvidence presented at trial included harrowing testimony from Ms Shaheen and her frantic 911 call, along with bloody crime scene photos and police video. Jurors deliberated for less than 90 minutes before handing in a verdict.Central to prosecutors' case was harrowing testimony from the boy’s mother, who said Czuba attacked her before moving on to her son, insisting they had to leave because they were Muslim.Odai Alfayoumi, who was also in attendance at the sentencing hearing, has lodged a separate lawsuit against Czuba over Wadee's death. (AP: Pat Nabong / Chicago Sun-Times)Czuba's wife, Mary, whom he has since divorced, also testified for the prosecution, saying he had become agitated about the Israel-Hamas war, which had erupted days earlier.Police said Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 times, leaving the knife in the child's body. Some of the bloody crime scene photos were so explicit that the judge agreed to turn television screens showing them away from the audience, which included Wadee's relatives.The home where a boy was killed and a woman was critically injured (AP: Chicago Sun-Times)“He could not escape,” Michael Fitzgerald, a Will County assistant state’s attorney, told jurors at trial. “If it wasn’t enough that this defendant killed that little boy, he left the knife in the little boy’s body.”Police testified that officers found Czuba outside the house, sitting on the ground with blood on his body and hands.Muslim boy killed and mother injured in US hate crimeSeparately, lawsuits have been filed over the boy’s death, including by his father Odai Alfayoumi, who is divorced from Shaheen and was not living with them. The US Department of Justice also launched a federal hate crimes investigation.War in Gaza has caused spate of violent attacksOther recent incidents raising alarm in the US about anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian prejudice include the attempted drowning of a three-year-old Palestinian-American girl in Texas, the stabbing of a Palestinian-American man in Texas and the beating of a Muslim man in New York.There was also a violent mob attack on pro-Palestinian protesters in California, a Florida shooting of two Israeli visitors whom a suspect mistook to be Palestinians, and a New York City assault by a pro-Israeli mob that chanted "Death to Arabs."Incidents raising alarm over antisemitism and anti-Israel attitudes include an unsuccessful plot to attack a New York Jewish centre, an arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence and attacks in Florida that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damages to businesses over perceived support for Israel.There have also been physical assaults against Jewish people in Michigan, Maryland and Chicago.Hate incidents have also been reported during protests and counter-protests related to the war.Mr Yousef told reporters after the hearing that Czuba was a grandfather figure to Wadee and the family doesn’t understand what “fake news” Czuba may have heard about the war in Gaza that caused him to attack the boy and his mother.“Some people are bringing this war to this country,” he said. "We cannot do that. We can't bring the war here. We cannot bring hatred to this country … we need that to stop."AP/ReutersPosted 1h ago1 hours agoFri 2 May 2025 at 8:44pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesAlbanese 'not surprised' he was targeted by Russian criminalsLIVEPhoto shows Anthony Albanese speaking in a sports stadium. Dutton finishes campaign with lurch towards Trumpian politicsLAnalysis by Laura TinglePhoto shows Peter Dutton in hi-vis, surrounded by other people.Pro-Russian influence operation targeting Australia in lead-up to electionTopic:Disinformation and MisinformationPhoto shows A man's hand controlling chat robots with strings attached to his fingers, with the Russian flag in the background.A single moment early in this election campaign came to define itTopic:ElectionsWhat time will a winner be called tonight?Topic:ExplainerPhoto shows Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese smiling on rainbow background.Popular nowDutton finishes campaign with lurch towards Trumpian politicsLAnalysis by Laura TinglePhoto shows Peter Dutton in hi-vis, surrounded by other people.What time will a winner be called tonight?Topic:ExplainerPhoto shows Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese smiling on rainbow background.Pro-Russian influence operation targeting Australia in lead-up to electionTopic:Disinformation and MisinformationPhoto shows A man's hand controlling chat robots with strings attached to his fingers, with the Russian flag in the background.Related topicsLaw, Crime and JusticeUnited StatesTop StoriesAlbanese 'not surprised' he was targeted by Russian criminalsTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows Anthony Albanese speaking in a sports stadium. Dutton finishes campaign with lurch towards Trumpian politicsLAnalysis by Laura TinglePro-Russian influence operation targeting Australia in lead-up to electionTopic:Disinformation and MisinformationA single moment early in this election campaign came to define itTopic:ElectionsWhat time will a winner be called tonight?Topic:ExplainerJust InCoalition public service policy twists bewilder Canberra votersPAnalysis by Patrick Bell19m ago19 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 10:08pmA visit to a park in Osaka made me dream big for Australia's green spaces VAnalysis by Virginia Trioli28m ago28 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 10:00pmRevered Spurs coach Popovich steps down after 29 NBA seasonsTopic:Basketball34m ago34 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 9:53pmThe Tasmanian seats which could deliver, or deny, electoral victoryTopic:Explainer27m ago27 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 10:00pmMore Just InBack to top