Alan Senitt
Encyclopedia
Alan Senitt was a British
political activist whose murder in Washington, DC garnered media attention. He had just graduated with an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies
, University of London
.
From Pinner
, North London
, Senitt was a former chairman of the Union of Jewish Students
. He stood as the Labour Party
candidate in Edgware
, North London, in the May 2006 local elections.
He worked with Lord Greville Janner
, a member of the House of Lords
and vice-president of the World Jewish Congress
in 2005, as director of the Coexistence Trust
charity. He also worked for the All-Party British-Israel Parliamentary Group and the British Israel Communications and Research Centre. He moved to the United States
in June 2006 to volunteer for Mark Warner
's political action committee Forward Together
.
Senitt was murdered in the Georgetown
area of Washington, D.C.
early on 9 July 2006. Senitt, 27, was escorting a female friend home when they were confronted by three males; at least one had a gun, and one had a knife. One attempted to sexually assault the woman while the other two assailants grabbed Senitt, stabbed him and slashed his throat. Then they fled, riding away in a car driven by a woman. Four suspects were arrested the same day. Christopher Piper, 25, was charged with felony murder and attempted sexual assault. Jeffery Rice, 22; Olivia Miles, 26; and a 15-year-old boy whom police declined to identify because he has been charged as a juvenile, were all arrested for murder charges. The juvenile later pled guilty to murder, as well as other charges, and has been sentenced.
On 21 May 2007, Piper and Rice pleaded guilty to robbing and killing Alan, and committing other robberies in the city. They were sentenced 24 August to 37 and 52 years respectively in prison by the D.C. Superior Court.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
political activist whose murder in Washington, DC garnered media attention. He had just graduated with an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
From Pinner
Pinner
- Climate :Pinner's geographical position on the far western side of North West London makes it the furthest London suburb from any UK coastline. Hence the lower prevalence of moderating maritime influences make Pinner noticeably warmer in the spring and the summer compared to the rest of the capital...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, Senitt was a former chairman of the Union of Jewish Students
Union of Jewish Students
The Union of Jewish Students of the United Kingdom and Ireland was established in 1919, when it was known as the Inter-University Jewish Federation...
. He stood as the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate in Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, North London, in the May 2006 local elections.
He worked with Lord Greville Janner
Greville Janner
Greville Ewan Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone is a British Labour politician, lawyer and author. A QC since 1971, he was a Labour MP from 1970 to 1997...
, a member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and vice-president of the World Jewish Congress
World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations...
in 2005, as director of the Coexistence Trust
The Coexistence Trust
The Coexistence Trust is an organisation that was founded in 2005 by Lord Janner of Braunstone and Prince Hassan of Jordan, originally named "The Political Council for Coexistence".-Purpose and mission:...
charity. He also worked for the All-Party British-Israel Parliamentary Group and the British Israel Communications and Research Centre. He moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in June 2006 to volunteer for Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
's political action committee Forward Together
Forward Together
Forward Together is a leadership political action committee, of which former Democratic Governor of Virginia and current U.S. Senator, Mark Warner, is the Honorary Chair....
.
Senitt was murdered in the Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
area of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
early on 9 July 2006. Senitt, 27, was escorting a female friend home when they were confronted by three males; at least one had a gun, and one had a knife. One attempted to sexually assault the woman while the other two assailants grabbed Senitt, stabbed him and slashed his throat. Then they fled, riding away in a car driven by a woman. Four suspects were arrested the same day. Christopher Piper, 25, was charged with felony murder and attempted sexual assault. Jeffery Rice, 22; Olivia Miles, 26; and a 15-year-old boy whom police declined to identify because he has been charged as a juvenile, were all arrested for murder charges. The juvenile later pled guilty to murder, as well as other charges, and has been sentenced.
On 21 May 2007, Piper and Rice pleaded guilty to robbing and killing Alan, and committing other robberies in the city. They were sentenced 24 August to 37 and 52 years respectively in prison by the D.C. Superior Court.