Public Defender Report slams police for increase in unnecessary arrests
Report states that police are rampantly using violence illegally, but that they are only being investigated in one-third to one-half of the incidents.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBUpdated: SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 02:36Israel Police logo(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Public Defender’s Office on Sunday submitted a report to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked slamming the police for unnecessary arrests, contradicting the purposes of the Arrests Law.Referenced in the report are numerous cases in which persons were arrested provisionally and their original detentions were then repeatedly extended despite the fact that, in the end, no indictment was filed against them.The report has a special focus on indictments filed by the state against poor persons whose crimes involved stealing food, living illegally in uninhabited public housing and stealing water or electricity when the defendants were having trouble affording those basic necessities.Pointing an accusatory finger at the police and state prosecution, the report said that instead of referring many of these cases to social welfare services to try to solve the general issue and help the poor people get back on their feet, the state harassed them with criminal charges.Next, the report stated that police are rampantly using violence illegally, but are only being investigated in one-third to one-half of the incidents The report also highlights a wide variety of other alleged problems with law enforcement, including failing to tell many suspects of their right to a lawyer; destruction of evidence that should be provided to the defense; and a general approach of doubling down to trying to convict suspects even in shoddy cases.
