Antisemitic comedian found guilty of hate speech

Thomas Torr has been found guilty of hate speech for antisemitic videos. Graphic: Lisa Nelson

• An aspiring comedian has been found guilty of hate speech after a complaint by the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies.
• In 22 videos posted online, Thomas Torr made statements that “promote horrid and dangerous consequences, including the complete annihilation of Judaism from the world,” ruled Judge Andre Le Grange.
• Instead of responding to the allegations, Torr told the judge’s registrar “I will kill you if I ever meet you.”

Thomas Leyland Torr, reportedly an aspiring comedian, has been found guilty of hate speech in the Equality Court, sitting in the Western Cape High Court.

Torr has been ordered by Judge Andre Le Grange to issue an unconditional written apology to the South African Jewish community and to “donate” R50,000 to the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre.

In his judgment, Le Grange said the central issue in the matter was whether videos Torr had posted on social media amounted to hate speech, as defined by the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA).

The case was brought by the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies.

“The complainant holds the firm view that the contents of the 22 videos posted during 2023 and 2024 has clear intention to incite harm and to promote hatred against the Jewish race, religion or culture, Jewish beliefs or consciences and who hold Zionist consciences or beliefs,” Judge Le Grange said in his recent ruling.

Torr in his videos had linked Jewish people to cannibalism and paedophilia and accused Jewish people of being “barbarians”.

Le Grange said in his ruling that the background facts were “alarming” and the content of the videos Torr published was “extreme, vile and replete with expletives”.

Although Torr was properly informed of the complaint, he did not respond to the allegations. Instead, he responded in an “ominous” manner to Judge Le Grange’s registrar, answering one email with a single sentence: “I will kill you if I ever meet you.”

Torr had also told a lawyer for the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies in an email that: “you are mentally retarded … and there is no cure for that”.

In response to a later email from the lawyer, he said: “You definitely do not deserve to live and I will enjoy watching your light be extinguished behind your dead eyes.”

He did not participate in the hearing.

During the hearing, the complainant called witnesses May Bloch, a media coordinator at the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies, and Professor Milton Shain, an emeritus professor of historical studies at the University of Cape Town who had penned various books dealing with antisemitism in South Africa.

Bloch testified that the videos were so upsetting and vulgar that some of the social media administrators had taken them off their platforms.

Shain testified that the anti-Jewish myths and fantasies conveyed in the videos “were persistently and deeply embedded in folklore and certain societies”.

The judge said while it was trite that freedom of expression lay at the heart of a democracy and was guaranteed, it was not “absolute” and did not enjoy superior status to other rights.

“Speech that is intended to hurt, harm or promote hatred is prohibited in terms of PEPUDA. The reason is obvious. Speech of an unduly hateful, abusive and inflammatory nature can pose a real and substantial threat to our democratic order and constitutional values.

“Hate speech is probably one of the most devastating methods of subverting the dignity and self-worth of human beings.”

Regarding Torr’s references to the war in Gaza, the Judge said, “There can be nothing wrong with publicly and openly expressing views and debating issues relating to Gaza. But Mr Torr’s videos and speech are not limited to the Gaza situation. Ignoring the vulgar and crude name-calling, his videos and speech promote horrid and dangerous consequences, including the complete annihilation of Judaism from the world.”

“His hostility and prejudice against Jewish people are palpable, dangerous and full of revulsion. His main aim is not to strive for a society built on democratic values of human dignity and equality, but to ignite hatred and violence against Jewish people. There seems to be no end to his vulgarity.”

Judge Le Grange said it was “blatant antisemitism” and Torr had shown no remorse but only disdain for the legal process.

The complaint had been “overwhelmingly established”, he ruled.

The Cape Town Jewish Board of Deputies said in a statement it was “a significant legal victory in the fight against antisemitism in South Africa”.

“This case is the first of four initiated over the past year by the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies. The three remaining cases will be heard in the coming months,” Executive Director Daniel Bloch said.

“The Cape SAJBD remains steadfast in its commitment to protect the civil rights of the Jewish community and to confront antisemitism, racism and prejudice in all its forms.”

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