The Beersheba District Court sentenced two abusive caregivers on Sunday after they were convicted of multiple offenses involving the assault of toddler-aged children.
Shita Amasho, 34 years old, received a sentence of six and a half years in prison, while 25-year-old Uriya Bidush was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Additionally, the two will be required to pay compensation to the children’s parents: 160,000 shekels for Amasho and 40,000 shekels for Bidush.
During the hearing, the prosecution requested a harsher sentence, asking for Amasho, who was convicted of over 200 violent offenses, to receive up to 10 years in prison. They sought a five-year sentence for Bidush, who was convicted of 45 violent offenses.
Judge Noa Haklai emphasized the seriousness of the situation in her verdict. “The toddlers were harmed during a critical period, and the daycare that was supposed to be a place of safety became a site of danger,” she stated.
“The defendants chose to act in a harmful and violent manner. The Supreme Court has underscored the need for increased penalties in similar cases.”
'A pattern of systematic behavior'
“The defendants have profoundly betrayed the trust placed in them by the parents, who entrusted them with their most precious possessions,” the judge added.
“This is not a one-time lapse; it is a pattern of systematic behavior. They attacked the toddlers every day and had the opportunity to stop their actions at any time, but the abuse only ceased due to the parents’ complaint and the subsequent investigation. Their actions may leave lasting effects on the toddlers, and it will be a long time before those impacts fade.”
The verdict follows a similar recent case from Tel Aviv this past week, in which Israeli police arrested a kindergarten director and her husband, both residents of Tel Aviv in their 60s, on suspicion of committing sexual offenses against children in their care.
The investigation began after the police received multiple complaints from parents who believed that the husband had engaged in sexual offenses against their children at the kindergarten, which operates out of the couple’s home.