Last update - 03:00 14/03/2008
Parents held in case of Jerusalem child abuse
By Jonathan Lis
Police are still not sure who is responsible for the abuse of two small children hospitalized with severe burns and bruises. The boys' mother admitted the abuse charges under interrogation Wednesday night, but later recanted.
The father has not visited his eight children since the Sukkot holiday. Several friends of the mother frequented the home and helped with the children. One of these friends called emergency services Wednesday night and performed CPR on the unconscious 3-year-old and was also detained by police.
During a bail hearing yesterday for the parents and family friend, Judge Haim Liran ruled that none of the evidence so far fixes who assaulted the children. "Some of the evidence ties each of the suspects to the charges," Liran said and denied bail for five more days. The woman comes from a prominent family in the New York Jewish community. She immigrated from the U.S. more than a decade ago.
Jerusalem police yesterday called the abuse of the 3- and 4-year-old boys exceptional in its severity. Detective Aliza Aroch termed it "monstrous." Commander Bruno Stein, in describing the boys' injuries, said police could see the children had been tied up and suffered from skin lesions that resulted from criminal neglect. "We could see they had been beaten with objects, and had various burns from heaters being placed against their bodies." In the family's apartment, police found torn nylon restraints with blood stains.
Both children are still hospitalized. The 4-year-old was brought in three days ago with burns and is in good condition. However, the 3-year-old remains in critical condition and has not regained consciousness since being admitted to the intensive care unit.
Police arrested the parents and family friend after doctors suspected abuse. More extensive medical examination revealed that both children bore signs of prior abuse.
The mother confessed to the abuse but later recanted and claimed detectives threatened she would not be allowed to visit her hospitalized children until she admitted the assault.
The father, who also denies the charges, told detectives he wasn't at home and had been out of town that day. However, detectives have evidence he beat the children with a rod in the past.
The family's remaining children have been removed from the home, and police have prohibited family members from visiting the injured boys until they can be questioned.
The parents, who are both U.S. citizens, have not contacted the American consulate in Jerusalem for assistance, a consulate spokesperson said.
(Daphna Berman contributed to this report.)