Jerusalem man accused of killing wife of 30 years has history of domestic violence
Judge orders suspect to remain in custody after stabbing wife, attacking first responders and attempting to take own life.
By DANIEL K. EISENBUDKnife (illustrative) 370(photo credit: Knife)
A judge ordered a Jerusalem man to remain in custody a day after allegedly stabbing his wife of 30 years to death, calling authorities for help and attacking responding police officers and paramedics before attempting to take his own life.According to police, the accused Gilo resident – a civil servant whose identity is being withheld due to a court gag order requested by his two children – has a history of domestic violence against his wife, resulting in at least one police intervention.“In August police were called to their home after he threatened her life,” said Police spokesman Shmulik Ben-Ruby after Monday’s hearing. “She later dropped the charges against him.”Indeed, despite being detained for questioning, his wife recanted the story and her husband was released on bond by the couple’s daughter, Ben- Ruby said, adding that no subsequent calls to police were made by the victim.On Sunday at approximately 1:30 p.m. the 65- year-old suspect called Magen David Adom for assistance after admitting to repeatedly stabbing his wife, aged 60, following a heated argument.When police and paramedics arrived at the scene the man lunged at them and then repeatedly impaled himself with the murder weapon in an attempt to commit suicide, police said.This is the second domestic murder in the capital since September, when a mother stabbed her two small children to death in their Talpiot apartment and unsuccessfully attempted to take her own life.Police said since the beginning of the year 14 women have been killed in the country during domestic disputes.In 2012 there were 13 women murdered by their partners, while 19 deaths were reported in 2011.Monday marked the annual International Elimination of Violence Against Women Day.
