Last update - 00:00 30/08/2007
Sentence hearing opens for man accused of torturing woman, 68
By Fadi Eyadat, Haaretz Correspondent
The sentencing hearing for a 25-year-old Haifa man who admitted to attacking, torturing and robbing 68-year-old Ita Fogel in February opened on Thursday at the Haifa District Court.
"I am a Holocaust survivor, but I've never hear of anything like this," Fogel said during the hearing on Arik Schechter's sentence.
According to the indictment, Shechter, along with 19-year-old Stephen Borisvitsky and 22-year-old Liran Hubert, broke into Fogel's house in Haifa after hearing that she kept a large sum of money hidden there.
The suspects allegedly caused a power outage in the building, waited for Fogel to exit her apartment for the stairwell and attacked her and forced their way into the apartment.
The indictment alleged that the three defendants tortured Fogel after they were unable to find any money in her house. Borisvitsky allegedly gagged Fogel's mouth with tape, beat her and poured bleach on her. Later on, the suspects doused Figo in water and applied electric shocks to her body.
"For my entire life, I worked and I was independent, and if not for the three accused, I would continue to be independent for the rest of my life. I put shutters all over the house but the fear still won't leave me and continues to follow me. I'm afraid of my shadow. I don't go out at night. Who knows who is standing behind you when such thugs exist in Israel," Fogel said.
Prosecutor Maayan Zur said during the hearing that the crime was extraordinary and extreme, and the sentence should be handed down accordingly.
In response to a claim made by the defense that Schechter was not the one to initiate the crimes, but joined his friends as a marginal participant, Zur said, "One cannot minimize his actions and the part of the accused in the acts. Even after that night, he maintained contacts with his friends, and they searched together for a place to sell the jewelry they stole, and even split the money. On this, there is no room to distinguish between the accused parties to the acts."
Schechter expressed sorrow for his actions, saying, "I am ashamed and regret that I was a partner in these offenses. I am not a criminal and I have no criminal past."
Fogel said she has not pity, and does not accept Schechter's apology. "Forgiveness give me nothing," she said.
"He was born of Satan. I don't pity him. These thugs came in and killed my life. I would shoot them if I saw them. They tortured me for hours. For half a year, I've been in rehabilitation, and I'm not finished."
Some 20 pensioners protested outside the court in protest of a recent spate of attacks on the elderly.