Haredi father from Netivot suspected of abusing his 7-month-old baby daughter

November 30, 2020   

Suspicion of abuse in the south: The Beersheba Magistrate's Court extended the detention of a 22-year-old Haredi father from the city of Netivot this morning (Monday), suspected of harming and abusing his 7-month-old daughter. The father's detention was extended until Wednesday. The toddler has been released and is in good condition. In recent days, the parents, a young Haredi couple, evacuated the baby to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba with a broken hip. The father claimed that his daughter had fallen, but after tests conducted at the hospital, suspicions arose that the fracture was not the result of an accident or a fall. The hospital rushed to report the incident to the police, as required by law, and the young parents were taken in for questioning. The mother was released at the end of the investigation, but contradictions were found in the father's version and he was arrested. According to the findings of the medical team at the hospital, old injuries were also found on the baby's body. The police said that they arrested the father on suspicion of harming and abusing the helpless child. "The Israel Police received a report last night that a one-year-old toddler was brought to Soroka Hospital about a week ago and is suffering from injuries. Upon receiving the report, the father and mother, both about 20 years old and residents of a city in the western Negev, were detained for questioning." Attorney Abu Ghrarah Al-Hail, who is representing the father suspected of abuse on behalf of the defense attorney, said: "This is a young father with no criminal record and no previous complaints. The father is cooperating fully and denies the suspicions. All his attention is on the minor's recovery.".