Neturei Karta Woman Arrested For Starving Her Toddler Son

Haredim torch Jerusalem welfare office in retaliation for woman's arrest.    

Mother suspected of starving toddler son
Neturei Karta member apparently suffering from Munchausen syndrome arrested after security cameras catch her disconnecting malnourished son from feeding tube; toddler's condition improving; Jerusalem welfare office set ablaze in protest of arrest
Efrat Weiss • Ynet

It was cleared for publication on Tuesday that a Jerusalem resident was arrested for suspicion of starving her two-year-old son.

The toddler, who had reached a weight of only seven kilos (about 15 pounds), is hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in serious condition.

During a Jerusalem Magistrates' Court hearing on the extension of the woman's remand, Judge Alexander Ron called the affair "the worst of the worst."

It is suspected that the woman, who is not cooperating with investigators, suffers from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychiatric disorder wherein those affected abuse someone else, typically a child, in order to draw attention or sympathy to themselves.

During the court hearing it was revealed that the child was hospitalized for the first time at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in September 2007 when he was only a year and seven months old with a fever and inflammed oral wounds. He refused to eat or drink and vomited. The toddler was released after two days and has since been admitted to the hospital on seven different occasions. He was transferred to Hadassah Ein Kerem in February 2009 and has been there ever since. Apart from malnutrition, the toddler also suffers from hair loss.

The suspecting medical staff at Hadassah Ein Kerem installed security cameras in the child's room. To their horror, the footage showed the woman disconnecting her son from his feeding tube. In other cases, she poured unknown substances into the tube.

The hospital proceeded to inform welfare authorities at the Jerusalem Municipality of the case. Police initially asked to arrest the mother at the hospital, but the hospital's management would not allow it. She was eventually detained during a meeting with a social worker.

It was later revealed that the woman is a member of the Neturei Karta community. She has other children and is currently pregnant. Hospital officials said there was an improvement in the toddler's condition since the mother's arrest and that he is able to eat without the use of a feeding tube. They said he is not vomiting.

On Sunday the municipal welfare office, located near the Jerusalem's Ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood was set on fire in protest of the woman's arrest. No suspects have been detained as of yet, but police investigators said they knew who was behind the act.

Tuesday saw a development in another child abuse case in Jerusalem, whereby Brazilian authorities denied Elior Chen's request to be granted refugee status, thus paving the way for his extradition to Israel.

Chen, a self-proclaimed "rabbi" who fled Israel to Brazil to escape trial for his involvement in numerous cases of the most horrific child abuse in recent memory, turned himself in to Brazilian law enforcement authorities in Sao Paulo in June.

Chen has been identified as the leader of a group of religious parents some have called a cult, to which he provided the "spiritual inspiration" that led his followers to torture their children.

Yael Branovsky contributed to the report.

[Hat Tip: Mysterious Sender.]

Comments

[Yochanan Lavie]

They'll blame it on the Zionists.

[Yonah]

Ack. Terrifying - who knows about those unknown substances. Or how the mother became so troubled.

I'm not trying to be smart here, but why do Neteurei Karta people live in Israel? Do they think living there is okay, as long as they don't participate in the maitenance of the state?

[Yochanan Lavie]

Do they think living there is okay, as long as they don't participate in the maitenance of the state?

Yes. It is still the Holy Land, even to the NK. They just want moshiach before we have a state.

[Nachum]

It would actually be Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, not Munchausen Syndrome itself, which would involve making herself sick.

[MisterApikoros]

Not that I have any sympathy for these especially evil frumbags in NK, but this kind of behavior goes on with all races, ethnicities, and religions. Fortunately it is rare.

I don't believe this woman being NK had anything to do with her major malfunction.

[soso]

That's not the point. But they set fire to the social welfare office after she was arrested.
That's the point.

[MisterApikoros]

I forgot to mention that in my post, and didn't want to post again (there's no edit facility here). You're absolutely correct; that is the point.

[Ben]

Since they set fire to the welfare office, they may as well protest by stoping recieption of welfare checkes, and child allowance checks and free healthcare and road maintanence and garbage collection and police protection.

Lets go all the way guys. After all we are an "all or nothing crowd".

[Hometown Postville]

Is this an isolated incident or the end result of all the degradation and restrictions placed on women? Will there be more women with broken spirits who end up taking it out on the kids? Does anyone know the suicide rate of females in this group? Is there a mental health expert on this blog? What's your take on it?

[justayid]

"On Sunday the municipal welfare office, located near the Jerusalem's Ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood was set on fire in protest of the woman's arrest. No suspects have been detained as of yet, but police investigators said they knew who was behind the act."

Er, we dont know who set fire to the welfare office. The police say they know but havent said who. And here in the USA if I considered everyone guilty who was accused by police, Id be strung up by everyone from Salon magazine to Berkeley for my fascistic views.

I would not be surprised if someone from Neturei Karta did it, but im not 100% sure, and even if it was, it might be someone on the fringe of even that fringe community.

[mau]

There is already a riot over the issue:
http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/1/1519894&m=1&mid=70940

Bar-Ilan street is closed, dumpsters are burning...

[nobody]

What are they rioting about and what are they protesting? What is wrong with these people who are doing this? Do they think they are above the law? Do they think they should be allowed to victimize people (children, whoever) at will and that nobody has a right to stop the perpetrator when they find out? This is insanity.

They are rioting to protect the right to abuse? I really do not understand this.

[OTD]

Some people think the woman the victim of a massive conspiracy. Check out comment #42
http://www.vosizneias.com/34989/2009/07/14/mea-shearim-mother-neturei-karta-member-suspected-of-starving-toddler-son/#comments

[Dorian]

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP), a type of factitious disorder, is a mental illness in which a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick. People with MSP assume the role of a sick person indirectly by producing or lying about illness in another person under their care, usually a child under 6 years of age. However, cases have been reported of adult victims of MSP. (The term "by proxy" means "through a substitute.")

The exact cause of MSP is not known, but researchers believe both biological and psychological factors play a role in the development of this disorder. Some theories suggest that a history of abuse or neglect as a child or the early loss of a parent might be factors in its development. Some evidence suggests that major stress, such as marital problems, can trigger an MSP episode.
In general, MSP is a very difficult disorder to treat and often requires years of therapy and support.

My main concern is with the little soul lying in the hospital; however, I can't help feeling for the troubled mother as well.
IN any case she'll need treatment for years and support. Two things she is definitely NOT going to get from her community.
She will be scorned for having attracked attention and putting the community in a bad light.
Support she never had anyway because even when ever anybody inside ever noticed any strange behaviour it would not have been talked about. It would have been wiped under the carpet with an excuse and an appropriate prayer would've been mumbled.

These women AND children in these kind of communities under whatever label have nowhere to go with their problems, fears, tears and abuse of whatever kind. Prayer, guilt, fear are used as guidelines/oppressors
As a matter of fact, also men are a victim of this. Often they take their frustration of any kind out on their near family . Completing the circle of a silent killer.

Ofcours there are a lot of loving (strict) orthodox families.
And as MA stated before:.." Not that I have any sympathy for these especially evil frumbags in NK, but this kind of behavior goes on with all races, ethnicities, and religions. Fortunately it is rare.
I don't believe this woman being NK had anything to do with her major malfunction."

Indeed, however HP wrote: is this an isolated incident or the end result of all the degradation and restrictions placed on women? Will there be more women with broken spirits who end up taking it out on the kids? Does anyone know the suicide rate of females in this group? Is there a mental health expert on this blog? What's your take on it?

I am not a mental health expert; however, I do believe that to often there is a connection between the things mentioned above. Ànd even when there is no abuse of whatever kind; the position these women find themselves in are more than tragic. The more so because many of them realize the hopelesness of their hopeless lifes..and have nowhere to turn.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Neturei Karta member apparently suffering from Munchausen syndrome....

It's actually called Munchausen by proxy according to my social worker wife.

[ppv1]

Move them to Gaza and let them live in Palestine.

[shmuel]

"The more so because many of them realize the hopelesness of their hopeless lifes..and have nowhere to turn."
Posted by: Dorian | July 14, 2009 at 04:59 PM

Thank you for a thoughtful and helpful post. But those words above are some of the saddest in the whole English language. You have to cry when a "Godly" society acts in such an unGodly way. My heart aches for all the silent victims of all these people. Truly, they have nowhere to go.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

my g-d, she is so ugly even when her face is hidden.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

You have to cry when a "Godly" society acts in such an unGodly way. My heart aches for all the silent victims of all these people. Truly, they have nowhere to go.

shmuel,
unfortunately, there is nothing godly with these people, be it with brackets or without brackets! those of us looking for g-d, should be looking elsewhere, far far away from those!

[DZ]

Coming from a Bikur Cholim volunteer who visited this hospital ward,

For seven months this young soul is in hospital, whenever the volunteer came by with candy he was told, "Do not give this little boy, he is on a feeding tube and can't eat."

He came by now three days after this litlle boy's mother's arrest, and lo and behold, the kid is off the feeding tube and sitting up in bed.

It seems that this mother is made of tougher material. and the doctors didn't like it. she refused to allow the hospital do experimental treatments on her son. quoting a doctor "now you won't see your child for two years." This poor woman didn't leave the boy's bedside. she was caught when she tried to put homeapathic drops into his formula.

As you see, there are two sided to every story.

[Shmarya]

Idiot.

He's off the feeding tube because he's stronger now and can swallow – and he isn't vomiting every day, as he was when his mother was poisoning him.