Police confirm settlers detained British activist, say he’s suspected of indecent act against minor

Police confirm that a British man seen being led away by armed settlers in the southern West Bank’s Umm al-Kheir earlier today is in custody.

The man was detained by the head of the security squad of “one of the settlements adjacent to Ma’on,” a recognized settlement south of Hebron, “on suspicion of performing an indecent act against a minor,” police say in response to a query.

“The suspect has been transferred to interrogation, which is still in its beginning,” police say.

The man was performing so-called protective presence with Palestinians in the area.

That’s How It Works, a social media account that posts claims against such activists, publishes footage in which the British man can be seen holding on to a fence, next to an Arabic sign that reads “welcome to Khirbet Umm al-Kheir,” and pressing his body against that of a child in an apparent attempt to prevent the child from passing through.

במהלך השבת, אנרכיסט זר בשם Finn Joughin, הטריד מינית ילד יהודי בן 10, תוך כדי שהוא מונע ממנו לעבור בשכונה שלו, ביישוב כרמל. (גם התיעוד שלנו מתחיל באיחור, התקיפה המינית המשמעותית יותר קרתה לפני שנדלקה המצלמה).

מבוגרים שנכחו במקום נאלצו להרחיק אותו באופן פיזי עד שתגיע משטרה וכרגע… pic.twitter.com/tFthfuO36z

— ככה זה עובד (@thatshow_itwork) August 29, 2026

A separate part of the footage shows the activist on a mattress inside a structure as a man speaking Hebrew calls him an anarchist and a pedophile.

The Hebrew speaker refers to the child as a resident of Barkan, an illegal outpost in the area of Umm al-Kheir.