Crime Pays:Mother Who Allegedly Starved Son Stays On House Arrest Even After Repeatedly Violating Its Terms

Court appears to buckle under threat of more haredi riots.

Court rules 'starving mother' to remain under house arrest
Jerusalem District Court rules that mother accused of starving her toddler son will remain under house arrest. Prosecution believes mother must be held in official detainment facility until end of legal proceedings, consider appealing to Supreme Court. Haredi community threatens to riot if mother returned to jail
Efrat Weiss • Ynet

The mother suspected of starving her three-year-old son will remain under house arrest until further notice. The Jerusalem District Court ruled Friday to keep the woman's remand conditions as is. The ultra-Orthodox community threatened to renew riots should the mother be returned to a detainment facility.

According to the court's decision, the mother will remain under house arrest in her home in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shaarim until further notice. The prosecution, which believes that the mother should be held in a detainment facility until the end of the legal proceedings, is considering submitting an appeal of the decision to the Supreme Court.

The mother, charged with abusing a dependent minor, arrived in court accompanied by family members. Judge Refael Yakobi ruled that she would remain under house arrest in her home until further notice. Another hearing will be held on August 23rd.

The ruling was made despite the prosecution's request that the mother be removed from Mea Shaarim and the defense's request that the mother detained in form. The judge noted that the mother's cooperation with various officials will be examined over the next two weeks, after which time the court may decide otherwise.

After the verdict was read, the prosecution's Attn. Tal Ben-Shahar said that the prosecution is weighing whether or not to appeal to the Supreme Court. The court did not place a limitation on the time period during which an appeal may be submitted, such that the prosecution is free to appeal next week should it chose to do so.

The District Court issued a gag order Friday on all of the investigation's content, tapes, videos, and professional medical opinions.

On Tuesday the mother failed to show up to her indictment on Tuesday, which angered the prosecution. Her attorney, David Halevy said in response that she was not summoned and that she was ill and was placed on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy.

According to the indictment, in the period between February 2008 and July 2009, the mother would take her son to hospital and tell the medical staff in the Hadassah Medical Center that her son suffered from various symptoms that she in fact was the one causing them, while deceiving the medial staff.

The mother's reports of her son's health led him to spend prolonged periods of time in hospital and forced him to undergo unnecessary, painful and dangerous medical treatment.

The suspect is also accused of having disconnected various transfusion tubes her son was connected to during his time in hospital "to prevent him from being nourished and to create a false pretence before the medical staff that her son suffers from the inability to digest food in any way, making his hospitalization necessary".

The indictment also says that at one point, the child's life was in serious danger, and that the mother would "rub his slim body with various objects to damage his skin".

The prosecution also addressed the seer emotional toll the physical abuse must have taken on the child, and wrote: "The mother damaged her son's emotional health, caused him suffering, pain, stress, enraged outburst and crying over many days during the relevant period."  

This woman has repeatedly and brazenly violated the terms of her release to house arrest, including preventing specific terms meant to protect her other children.

At the same time, the court allowed haredim to bring in an independent psychiatrist with a very checkered past.

In one case of child sexual abuse, his medical opinion was the prepubescent victims had "seduced" the rapist. Hadassah Hospital had recently fired the shrink for inappropriate dealings with patients. He was working there as a sexologist. 

It was that psychiatrist's testimony to the mother's sanity and lack of danger posed to others that got the mother returned to her Mea Shearim home. 

The shrink recanted his medical opinion within days after the mother was released.

Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, the government's minister of health, posted part of the woman's bail and vouched for her, even as the government he represents argued the woman posed a danger to others and should be jailed.

The conflicts of interest and ethical lapses in this case are clear. So is the evidence against the mother.

So why is she awaiting trial while living in the same small home with her children?

In Israel, crime, violence and proteksia pays.

Comments

[effie]

was placed on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy.

She isn't planning on showing up ever again.

[seymour]

cherideim pays,

it seems there is a 3 court system in Israel

Arab
Jews
Cherdiem

sad

I thought human sacrifice was outlawed in the Torah, but the way they protect this woman and child molests, has me thinking.

[harold]

Maybe the best solution for the moment would be to have the court send someone to her house once a day, say at dinner time, to make sure that the kids ger enough to eat.

[Shmarya]

Maybe the best solution for the moment would be to have the court send someone to her house once a day, say at dinner time, to make sure that the kids ger enough to eat.

Are you serious?

[norm]

This is Torah Darwinism-now if we could jut get all haredi women to starve their children the problem woudl solve itself. (=

[effie]

Unfortunately, he is. From the story posted on 8/5/09:

Currently, there is a social worker in the home who is protected by private guards because of threats.

So, not only must they have a social worker there, they have to have guards for the social worker. It's ridiculous. All the kids should be removed from the home and the woman remanded to jail pending her trial. Enough is enough. And what is this judge's background?

[seymour]

maybe Israel build a wall in the wrong place
build it around the herdie communities let them do everything themselves we will offer no help for police or anything like that and lets see how those people do.

[seymour]

So, not only must they have a social worker there, they have to have guards for the social worker. It's ridiculous. All the kids should be removed from the home and the woman remanded to jail pending her trial. Enough is enough. And what is this judge's background?

Maybe she wants to be a dayan also

[harold]

Are you serious?

Well let us begin with your story headline “Mother Who Allegedly Starved Son” this implies that she has not been found guilty of the charge and my understanding is that a person is innocent until proven guilty. However one cannot use this logic to put a child in harms way so my suggestion was meant to deal with the fear of the children not getting enough food. If the courts find her guilty and decide that her punishment is to incarcerate her or have her children removed and placed in foster homes, then so be it.

I have a feeling that some of the outrage is not for the children, who I am sure some of the posters don’t give a crap for, especially since they are haredim, but the blind hatred and rage against any orthodox jew.

[seymour]

harold,

if you read carefully most of the criticism is against the communities action regarding this event.

[effie]

a person is innocent until proven guilty.

One, it's a presumption that applies only in a court of law - not outside.

Two, a court has already ruled that there is sufficient evidence to fear for the welfare of the child and for the boy not to return to her care.

Three, her current release from jail is conditional. She has repeatedly violated the conditions. She belongs in jail pending trial.

Four, I have a feeling that you and her community don't give a damn about her children and your victimhood is disingenous.

[Shmarya]

Harold –

You are either disingenuous or a fool.

Potential harm to the children is not limited to starvation.

[harold]

Potential harm to the children is not limited to starvation.

I may be naive but somehow I think, that with all this publicity, that whatever hareidi sect she belongs to will make damn sure that there are no more problems with regards to the children. I am sure that she will be brought whatever food she needs and that she will be getting many “visitors” to check up on the children.

[effie]

Yet, the same haredi sect didn't do anything when she was making the child sick. Spare us. And they need guards to protect the social workers because of threats. And her husband kept removing the other kids every time the social worker was scheduled to check on them. Enough already. She belongs in jail pending trial. The Israeli justice system needs to clean house.

[soso]

Yes, they sent a social worker to their house to protect the other children and she herself needed protection against agression. This was reported in one newspaper.

However, I think it is common sense to leave her where she is.

you know, those youth protection cases are not straightforward. So it might be that the other kids really want her home and are really afraid because of the fact that she is going to jail.

So basically, if I undersood this article, she will take her pregnancy as an excuse to stop showing up alltogether...

[seymour]

the real question is simple is this the way other cases are handled. If not, anytime a mom gets arrested all people have to do is protest and she will get released.

However, in secular communities they worry about the child, as opposed to the heridie communities it is more important the new does not get out. And more important to fool themselves that these things that effect the secular do not happen in our community.

[harold]

Yet, the same haredi sect didn't do anything when she was making the child sick.

I find that hard to believe that the starvation was sanctioned by the haredi sect that she belonged to. This is probably an isolated case of a severely disturbed woman.

[seymour]

Harold

the reason they do not do anything is simple they do not want to believe that such things happen. So they will make excuses and not deal with the issue.

This type of behavior is common amongst the herdie community. remember for 20+ years molestation just does not happem. If a boy or girl complains they are just making it up to get back at the teacher. Some still belive that.

[harold]

There are alot of sick people out there of all walks of life and all denomonations. To try to pin it on a religion or religious sect is wrong. A quick Google brings up some winners.
---------------------------
Dallas starvation case to proceed to grand jury

DALLAS — The case of a mother accused of keeping her three children starving in a hotel bathroom for at least nine months will proceed to a grand jury, a judge ruled today.

...

Police and a relative found Santiago's three children shut inside a hotel bathroom last month. The 11-year-old girl and her 10- and 5-year-old half brothers were emaciated and filthy, requiring hospitalization for 10 days. The doctor who examined them said the children appeared to have been starved and that their condition was life-threatening.

The 11-year-old said she had been sexually assaulted, and the eldest son was covered in bruises from a beating authorities said was delivered by his mother's boyfriend. ...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/breaking/6560363.html
-------------------------------------
Community Outraged By Girl's Starvation Death

HINCKLEY, Minn. (WCCO) ― The day after it was announced a Pine County mother had been charged with starving her 10-year-old daughter to death, police say outrage has been reaction from the community.

"A lot of anger, a lot of how could a mom do this to their own child?" said Pine County Sheriff Chief deputy Steve Ovick. "It's just such a sad case but again mom is responsible, ultimately responsible for this."

...

The girl weighed only 31 pounds when she died, down from 47 pounds just three months earlier when she finished fourth grade.

http://wcco.com/local/girl.starvation.death.2.1114790.html
--------------------------------
Girl recalls sister's starvation death

The New South Wales Supreme Court has been told that a young girl will never forget how her sister died of starvation in a Hunter Valley home.

A 35-year-old woman is facing a maximum of life in prison for the starvation murder of her seven-year-old daughter, while her 48-year-old husband is facing up to 25 years in prison for manslaughter.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/05/2646634.htm

---------------------------------
Trial Set for Father of Starved Baby
The Associated Press
July 27, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- - A Kansas City man charged in the starvation death of his 4-month-old son will stand trial in February.

The Jackson County court said Monday that 27-year-old Nicholas Candler will stand trial on Feb. 1 on charges of second-degree murder. His wife, Rebecca Candler, also is charged with second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child. She is still being evaluated by the court.

Their son, Jeremiah Candler, was pronounced dead at a hospital in November. He weighed about 5 pounds when he died, less than he did when he was born.

The medical examiner's report concluded that the boy died of chronic malnutrition and dehydration because of neglect.

After the baby's death, the couple's 2-year-old was removed from the home. That child appeared to be in good health.

http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-starved-baby-trial-72709,0,2372930.story

[Hometown Postville]

You are so right, Harold. This problem is not unique to a specific religion. It appears to be an issue of mental illness. The sad part about the woman in Jerusalem though is the Haredi community's lack of support for the judicial and social services system that are only out to protect the children. The Haredi seems more appalled by the treatment of their woman than her son. Which leads me to wonder just what kind if any punishment they have planned for her. Are these cases typically swept under the rug or do these women endure equally horrendous retribution meted out by their Rabbis? Strange priorities!

[R]

Everytime the charedi nut riots and causes problems the government bows to them and this isn't teaching them not to riot. Everytime anything happens they don't quite like they will riot and get their way.