A suspected arsonist accused of destroying a Melbourne synagogue appeared in court Thursday, seven months after the crime shocked the nation and triggered a large-scale investigation.
Giovanni Laulu, 21, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court after his arrest at a Melbourne home on Wednesday.
Police allege Laulu is one of three masked men who spread a liquid accelerant around the interior of the Adass Israel Synagogue, then set it alight before dawn on December 6. A worshiper preparing for morning prayers suffered minor burns.
Laulu is the first suspect to be caught, but police have foreshadowed more arrests. Police suspect there are also accomplices who planned the attack from overseas.
Laulu was charged with arson, reckless conduct, endangering life, and car theft.
Laulu confirmed his name but otherwise remained silent during the brief court appearance.
His lawyer told Magistrate Brett Sonnett this was not Laulu’s first time in prison. Laulu was then remanded in jug and will appear in court next on August 6.
Prosecutors sought 12 weeks to gather evidence against Laulu and said 11 cellphones need to be analyzed. Sonnett gave the prosecution until October 22 to present its case to Laulu’s lawyers.
Federal and state police, plus Australia’s main domestic spy agency, have been investigating the crime, which is suspected to be politically motivated. Police say more than 220 law enforcement officers have devoted more than 50,000 hours to the investigation.
A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the October 7, 2023, Hamas
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...massacre in Israel triggered the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about
oppressionand
disproportionate response...
. The synagogue attack is the only incident to have been classified as an act of terrorism, a designation that increases the resources available to the investigation.
The federal government has committed 30 million Australian dollars ($20 million) to rebuild the synagogue.
Two weeks ago, another 20-year-old man was charged with stealing the car used in the synagogue attack, but he has not been accused of being one of the masked men that ignited the synagogue.
The incident is being investigated as a terrorist attack. Police said this week that they could not rule out further arrests and believed that the attack had been orchestrated from abroad. A string of antisemitic attacks in Sydney last year were the work of a criminal gang, police said.
The early-morning fire tore through the synagogue, causing damage to the $20m building and devastating sacred texts.
The individuals arrived at the scene in a blue VW Golf, which police previously alleged was a “communal crime car” used in a series of unrelated attacks, including at the Lux nightclub in South Yarra.
According to Mr Laulu’s charge sheets, police alleged he stole the $40,000 vehicle on December 5 from an address in Tarneit.
Related:
Melbourne synagogue 07/31/2025 Australian police arrest suspect in Melbourne synagogue arson attack
Melbourne synagogue 07/15/2025 Anonymous video claims Melbourne arson attack on Israel-linked company, threatens workers
Melbourne synagogue 02/07/2025 Australia investigating potential foreign influence amid wave of antisemitic attacks
Melbourne synagogue 07/31/2025 Australian police arrest suspect in Melbourne synagogue arson attack
Melbourne synagogue 07/15/2025 Anonymous video claims Melbourne arson attack on Israel-linked company, threatens workers
Melbourne synagogue 02/07/2025 Australia investigating potential foreign influence amid wave of antisemitic attacks