State appeals house-arrest terms for 'child-starving' mom

Woman currently allowed to live with her other children in their home, despite the harsh indictment filed against her last week.

By DAN IZENBERG
starving mother 248 88 aj (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimksi)
starving mother 248 88 aj
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimksi)
The state on Sunday appealed to the Supreme Court against a lower court decision to maintain the house arrest for the woman suspected of deliberately starving her son, despite the harsh indictment filed last week. On August 4, when the prosecution charged Y., it also asked to change the terms of her house arrest, which had been determined by Jerusalem Magistrate's Court 10 days earlier. At that time, the court placed Y. under house arrest in her home in Mea She'arim and allowed all of her children except the child she is suspected of abusing, to live with her under the supervision of another adult. The children were to be examined by a doctor every two days. The decision was based, in part, on a professional opinion submitted by a psychiatrist, Dr. Ya'acov Weil, who said the woman did not pose a threat to any of her children. A few days later, however, Weil amended his opinion and said the mother might pose a threat. In a hearing on August 5, the state asked the court to send the mother outside of Mea She'arim because neither social workers nor the police could visit her home because of haredi violence. However, the court refused to make the changes and rejected the state's request to look at some of the evidence, which would prove that the woman was, in fact, dangerous. It instead scheduled another hearing for August 23 to make a final decision on the terms of the house arrest. The state, however, wants a psychiatric assessment and the detention review to be held immediately.