Little girl attacked on a playground

An 11-year-old Jewish girl was attacked at a Crown Heights playground by a band of black youths who slammed her into a metal slide, kicked her repeatedly - and pelted her with anti-Semitic invective, the girl's mom said Wednesday.

Dumb Jew! B----! Why are you here? Why are you in this world? the boys screamed as they pummeled Nechama Benjamin at a Montgomery St. playground early Tuesday evening.

The shocking attack by at least three boys is being investigated by police. The beating caused Nechama to black out and left her with a bloody nose - and a terrible fear of leaving home, her mom said.

My daughter told me she is afraid to go out, to go to the park - to go anywhere, said Elka Benjamin, 31.

Nechama went to the local park with her 6-year-old brother around 6 p.m. Although Crown Heights has long been plagued by racial and religious tension, Nechama's mother thought it was okay for her kids to go to the playground alone because the family lives on the same block.

Trouble started when one of a group of boys playing soccer tossed the ball at Nechama, hitting her in the leg, her mother said.

She tossed it back - and an argument ensued. The boys surrounded Nechama, taunting her mercilessly, her mother said.

Then the boys grabbed her by the hair and dragged her from the bench to a playground slide.

Nechama spoke to cops Tuesday at the NYPD's 71st Precinct stationhouse, where a boy who witnessed the incident was also questioned.

No arrests have been made, a police source said Wednesday night.