Judge investigated for beating his kids to return to duties in January

Livni and Grunis say judge won't handle criminal, family cases; case dropped in May for "the good of the children."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Judge investigated for beating kids 370 (photo credit: Screenshot Channel 10)
Judge investigated for beating kids 370
(photo credit: Screenshot Channel 10)
A senior judge who was investigated for allegedly beating his children will return to his duties at the beginning of next year, but will not handle criminal cases, Supreme Court President Asher D. Grunis and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni announced on Friday.
The judge took a voluntary leave of absence in February as Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein approved a police request to interrogate him about the allegations.
A complaint was first filed against the judge three years ago, after one of his children’s teachers notified social services.
The judge allegedly admitted to the teacher that he beat his children, apologized and expressed regret. However, subsequently there were additional reports of beatings.
Police said the evidence in the case warranted an investigation but the attorney-general decided in May not to charge the judge and he was not relieved of his duties.
Livni and Grunis said Friday that “the judge will return to his duties on January 1, 2014. Let it be noted that the judge will handle civil cases only and will no longer judge any criminal cases, including youth and family cases.”
Beginning in September, he will review cases he was working on before stepping down.
Upon closing the case without an indictment in May, Weinstein said that “the good of the children” and existing prosecution policies in such cases were the main reasons behind his decision.
“Handling a case of violence between children and parents requires great sensitivity. Crudely interfering in this delicate fabric can be more damaging than helpful.”
He added that an indictment would have required the children to testify against their father.
“The evidence suggests that the children are not currently [in danger of ] being harmed and that the suspect’s behavior has changed for the better in recent years,” stated the attorney-general. “Apparently, the crisis in [their] family life has passed.”
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.


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