Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., March 14, 2008 Adar2 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 06:53 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 08:00 01/01/2007 Child advocates slam 'laughable' sentence for abusive father By Ruth Sinai , Haaretz Correspondent Child welfare groups are outraged over a court's decision to sentence a father who severely abused his three daughters to only 18 months in prison. The Council for the Welfare of the Child has urged the prosecution to appeal, saying that such a light sentence constitutes "a kind of encouragement to those who abuse their children." The Tel Aviv District Court found last month that Pinhas Traskonov repeatedly beat his two older daughters, aged two and four, when they disrupted his television viewing. Once, for instance, he pushed the four-year-old, causing her to fall and break a tooth, then kept her home from nursery school so that her teacher would not notice. Advertisement But the most serious incident began one evening when, after drinking vodka, Traskonov and his wife went out with the four-year-old, leaving the two-year-old and the three-month-old alone in the house. While out, they continued to drink, and when they returned at 3 A.M., the wife beat the baby, causing a large bruise around her eye. Two days later, the wife kicked the baby in the head, causing cranial bleeding, and when Traskonov returned that evening, she told him that the baby had died. Traskonov then shook the infant, hit her in the face and threw her at the sofa. Only then did he call for help, but efforts to revive the baby failed. The mother was charged with manslaughter and Traskonov with abuse. Traskonov confessed to the charges. Judge Zvi Gurfinkel decided not to convict Traskonov of abusing the baby after her death, because, the judge wrote, he was apparently trying to revive her. The father's other actions were indeed grave, Gurfinkel continued, but he had two points in his favor: his confession and, "primarily, the fact that as a result of this tragic incident, his baby daughter died, not due to any action of his; his wife was arrested... and his two older daughters were taken from him... All this constitutes punishment for the defendant." Therefore, he sentenced Traskonov to 18 months in prison, meaning that he will be out within a year. Head of the Noga Legal Center for Victims of Crime, Dr. Dana Pugach, said the verdict joins a long list of similar "laughable" sentences handed down to parents who abused their children. She added that she is eagerly awaiting passage of a bill now under discussion in the Knesset that would limit judges' freedom to be lenient in such cases Bookmark to del.icio.us   Hezbollah scare Lebanese group's influence has dramatically increased in the West Bank. Literary boycott Peres calls Muslim countries' shunning of Paris Book Fair 'most ridiculous.'   1.   Where is justice for these children? 04:34  |  David ben Avraham 01/01/07   2.   What a Joke! 04:47  |  American 01/01/07   3.   child welfare groups enraged 05:58  |  robin 01/01/07   4.   18 MONTHS IN PRISON IS BLASTOMY 06:37  |  NEIL GOLAN 01/01/07   5.   Justice 07:59  |  Frank 01/01/07   6.   5: "Left wing" my child? Wrong 08:29  |  David Teich 01/01/07   7.   The judge has not protected these children 09:57  |  PS 01/01/07   8.   Adding insult to injury 10:10  |  Dani Reiss 01/01/07   9.   Judge should be removed from court 11:29  |  Eve 01/01/07   10.   Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest 11:43  |  Simon 01/01/07   11.   Lock `em away for good 12:11  |  Susan Taragin 01/01/07   12.   please do not tell us of these crimes 22:39  |  yahn goodey 01/01/07   13.   To: PS 06:17  |  leven5 14/03/08

Today Online Abbas accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' in Jerusalem Responses: 291 At least 30 Qassam rockets fired into Israel from Gaza since Wed. Responses: 246 Amira Hass: PA officials should act more like Gandhi Responses: 108 Poll: Half of Jewish public oppose Arabs in their neighborhoods Responses: 145 Wagner show in Nazi-era hall to raise funds for Ramallah venue Responses: 97 Rosner's Domain If you marry them, you have a better chance of keeping them State Department: UN measures fuel anti-Semitism (WTR) General Fraser and the third whiner Major setback for Hamas? (WTR) Israeli leadership: A mixture of paranoia and luck More Headlines 04:10 Negev slammed by rockets; IDF: Lull appears to be over 05:09 Markets fear central bank's buy of dollars won't stop plunge 01:35 Israel and France have a second honeymoon as Peres visits Sarkozy 02:39 Deputy TA mayor: Gov't reneges on promise to help refugees 01:01 Police arrest rabbi for 'inciting Palestinians' in East Jerusalem 20:56 Jerusalem yeshiva commemorates 8 students slain in terror attack 19:07 Ban: Israel must halt 'excessive force' against Palestinians 03:57 State Dept. reports rise in global anti-Semitism over last decade 04:17 Mother of Mercaz Harav victim backs 'political use' of son's murder 05:25 Shas MK who backed Web censorship bill spent thousands on computer usage 02:22 Jerusalem parents held in suspicion of torturing 3- and 4-year-old boys 02:48 Israel falls behind the times in having woman parliamentarians 00:43 Rubinstein competition / Exalted strokes outweigh the flaws Previous Editions Select Day 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb

Special Offers Advertisement FAREWELL ISRAEL New Film The Coming War for Islamic Revival - View Movie Trailer READY FOR PURIM? BUT - Who Will Guard The Hamentasch? Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Long-term Israel programs MASA is your gateway. More programs. More grants. NEW! Dan Boutique Jerusalem Hotel Hip Dan Hotel in Jerusalem. Attractive Introductory Rates 7589 rockets fired so far HELP US TO HELP THEM FREE JEWISH HISTORY COURSE Berel Wein's best selling lectures. 5000 Years in Five hours /CD/MP3 Marina Royale Herzelia Pituach Your Luxurious Suite While Staying in Israel Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved