Prosecution: Put 'abusive mom' under full house arrest outside Mea She'arim

Temporary decision on house arrest terms scheduled to be handed down on Friday.

By DAN IZENBERG
starving mother 248 88 aj (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimksi)
starving mother 248 88 aj
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimksi)
The state prosecution called on the Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday to place the mother accused of starving her child under full house arrest in a neighborhood of Jerusalem other than Mea She'arim, where she lives. The hearing was the second in two days to determine the conditions to be imposed on the woman in return for allowing her to remain outside of jail at least until August 23. At that time, another hearing will be held on the conditions after the defense studies the evidence gathered by police. The temporary decision is scheduled to be handed down by Judge Refael Yacobi on Friday. State prosecutors Maayan Orin-Rimon and Tal Wisman-Ben Shahar told Yacobi that "the defendant must be held in full house arrest somewhere other than in her home. "We accept that she will be with her children [other than the alleged victim] on condition that there will be supervisors in the house. They will have to appear before the court so that we can get an impression of them, and make certain they understand the very important task they have assumed." The prosecutors also accused the woman, identified as Y., and her family of making things difficult for investigators. "In each stage, we run into obstacles," they said. For example, they wanted to talk to Y.'s other children because there were concerns they were also abused by their mother. The family promised three times to bring the children and three times the children did not show up. "There is serious concern that she might harm one of her other children, especially Sh., the younger brother of C. [the alleged victim]," the prosecutors warned. They also called for two supervisors to look after the children, particularly to feed them and look after their health. Currently, there is a social worker in the home who is protected by private guards because of threats. A doctor should see the children once a week, they added. Public Defender David Halevy, who is the defendant's attorney, called on the court to put an end to his client's house arrest and to dismiss her current supervisors. There was no reason she should not be allowed to walk about freely because no one accused her of being a danger to the public, he maintained. Halevy also rejected the state's demand to have a psychiatrist examine the woman.