Judge: Surveillance Video Clearly Shows Haredi Mother Removing Son's Feeding Tube

Judge: Boy looked like he just left Auschwitz

Judge in 'starving mom' case: Boy looked like he just left Auschwitz
Jerusalem District Court judge says there is sufficient evidence to convict woman suspected of starving her toddler son; says footage from hospital shows her disconnecting son's feeding tube
Aviad Glickman • Ynet

Judge Moshe Ravid of the Jerusalem District Court said there was sufficient evidence to convict the woman who allegedly starved her toddler son.

She was charged with several counts of abusing a minor under her care. Her son is now three-years old.

"There is enough solid evidence for a conviction. I have seen footage of the boy himself before and after (the starvation); he looked like someone who had just gotten out of Auschwitz," said the judge during Tuesday's hearing on the mother's detainment conditions.

Judge Ravid said footage taken from a surveillance camera at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital "shows the mother disconnecting the tube (that brought food directly to the toddler's stomach) and then wiped the floor so no one would be able to detect the leakage."

During the hearing, Attorney Tal Ben-Shahar for the prosecution presented the court with two police complaints: One that was filed by another prosecutor in the case who was threatened, and another from a social service worker who was assaulted by the mother's associates while she was visiting her home.  

The prosecution claims that the mother should only be able to see her children an hour a day. According to Attorney Ben-Shahar, the defendant's confidence in herself and her innocence, without any signs of understanding the gravity of the claims against her, shows that she is dangerous.

Defense Attorneys David Halevy and Reuven Bar-Haim claimed during the hearing that separating the mother from her children will cause her and the children severe mental damage. 

UPDATE 10:25 am CDT – Here's how some haredim are reporting these court proceedings. Note the mother's version of events:

Judge: Meah Shearim Mom Disconnected Son’s Feeding Tube
Yechiel Spira • Yeshiva World News

Jerusalem District Court Justice Moshe Ravid on Tuesday announced the video footage provided by Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital was horrific indeed, adding the child who was allegedly abused by his mother, “C”, appeared as if he left Auschwitz. The court added that the video does show the mother disconnecting the child from his feeding tube as the state alleged, adding the evidence appears to be significant and enough for a conviction.

The naso-gastric tube disconnected by the defendant was intended to bring nourishment directly into the child’s stomach, and the mother disconnected the tube as the hospital has alleged all along but the defense attorney and the Meah Shearim community insisted this was not so, accusing the state and the hospital of orchestrating a witch hunt against the model mother.

The state also presented the court with complaints, one from a social services employee who was threatened by the defendant’s family and a second from an employee who was actually assaulted.

The state wants the defendant removed from her home and granted a one-hour daily supervised visit with her children while defense attorneys David Halevy and Reuven Bar-Chaim insist removing the mother from her home and distancing her from her children will have a traumatic impact on the little ones. The defense lawyers insist their client is not a threat to the children.

Meah Shearim Mom Speaks in Court
Yechiel Spira • Yeshiva World News

Addressing the court in a pained voice, permitting the tears to flow, the Meah Shearim mom made a passionate appeal, seeking to impart on Justice Moshe Ravid the pain and suffering this ordeal is causing her and her family. She told the court “my son said ‘I want to kill all those people’”, seeking to share the family’s pain with the court. “I just want to be home with abba and ima, no one else” mom quoted her child as saying, concluding, “At present, I know it appears bleak”.

After the family agreed to permit social workers to interview the other children in the family, the court decided to delay a decision on the state’s appeal to distance the mother from the home and her children during the trial pending the outcome.

She went on to explain “I am a chareidi, a chareidi mother, and that is not understood here, in this court. The only thing important to a chareidi mother is her children. I am one of these mothers and that is the way I will remain until 120. Nothing in this world is important to me, not a job, not money and not a large home, just my children - their well-being, tranquility, and happiness. That is what they give me and this is what I give them in return.”

She detailed the children are afraid, uncertain if she will be there when they return. They do not sleep well as a result. “They are very attached to me and they are worried. They want their lives back, that’s all.”

The mother continued, blaming the intrusion of social workers and other state officials for “ruining her life and that of the family”.

Comments

[Dr. Dave]

What are you going to believe - videotape or daat torah?

[A. Nuran]

Res ipsi loquitor

[Ben]

Dr.Dave, of course we going to believe daas torah, since video tape could be edited.

[critical_minyan]

The video is a lie. The zionist anti-semitic gestapo golda meir, came back from the dead, dressed up like her grandmother, and pulled out the baby's feeding tubes.
Everyone is crazy here. The mother, the toldot aharon nutcases, and the Israeli government, because if they had a shred of humanity, would pull all the kids out of meah shearim to prevent future incidents like this from happening.

[seymour]

What are you going to believe - videotape or daat torah?

Posted by: Dr. Dave | September 08, 2009 at 08:38 AM

if I remember the genesis daat torah did not look at the video tape. since they didn't their opinion is worth Zero

[Althelion]

She went on to explain “I am a chareidi, a chareidi mother, and that is not understood here, in this court.

There it is - The ever-applicable rationale: Since I am who I am, and you are who you are, you cannot know or understand me.

This woman is a glatt kosher whack job.

[Mr. Apikoros]

This haredi harridan hag, on the other hand, doesn't look underfed to me.

[L.Krawitz]

I understand the gravity of the situation but I just had to LOL at the observation of the posting above.

How right you are Mr Apikoros.

Whatever her problems are, and they appear to be many, they obviously don't include depriving herself of food.

[seymour]

remember you do not understand only chechdie mothers cares so much for her children not like the heathens of the secular jews and goyim.

I do not understand what the lawyer says it is not so about the video did he even try to explain it. Or just ignore it.