State petitions court over acquittal of doctor of molestation charges - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Fri., August 31, 2007 Elul 17, 5767

Israel Time: 03:01 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Books

Sports

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 18:05 30/08/2007

State petitions court over acquittal of doctor of molestation charges

By Ran Reznik, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service

The State Prosecution on Thursday petitioned the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the decision to acquit psychiatrist Marcello Spitz of child molestation charges.

In response, the health ministry said it would reconsider its decision to allow Spitz to resume practicing pending the court's decision.

A

	Advertisement

panel of Haifa District Court judges had acquitted Spitz by a vote of two to one, saying the prosecution was not able to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Spitz had been charged with repeatedly touching one of his patients. In their ruling, the judges said the witnesses' testimony was valid and that contrary to Spitz's claims he was not in a psychotic state.

However, they wrote that they had decided to aquit Spitz because they believed the patient's unstable mental state and will to leave psychiatric interment led him to believe a version of events of his own fabrication.

Judges had further doubts over the witnesses' claim that the acts were carried out by Spitz in an unlocked room while his mother was waiting outside and that he came forward only after the most serious incident.

In the petition, the State Prosecution claims the judges ignored the fact that Spitz lied in court, claiming he had diagnosed the youth as suffering from psychosis and delusions while records show he had not.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	No slave to trends
	Hongiman designer Yardena Ziv has an eye for sexy clothes that are less clingy.


	The oys of summer
	A series of incidents is imperiling the existence of the fledgling Israeli baseball league.




1.	Just another merry incident in corrupt and evil so-called Israel	02:44	\|	Hannah	31/08/07

Today Online


	U.S. coordinator plans 5 new Palestinian battalions in W. Bank
	Responses: 153


	Rosner: How can Jewish state reject refugees, refuse to recognize a genocide?
	Responses: 123


	Israel Harel: Action, not defense, will end the Qassam threat
	Responses: 96


	Friedmann precludes gays from inheritance laws in revised bill
	Responses: 100


	Editorial: Sarkozy closer to Israel on Iran than Chirac was
	Responses: 34

Rosner's Domain

* How can a Jewish state reject Darfur refugees?

* Powell aide: Israel told us Iran, not Iraq, is the problem

* WTR: Unhappy with Christiane Amanpour? You're not alone

* Rosner's Mailbox: In favour of Prof. Walt's earlier thesis

More Headlines
00:29 Israeli cargo ship and Cypriot passenger ship collide in Haifa bay


02:03 PA, IDF meet for highest-level security talks since 1994


02:49 Heftsiba CEO arrested while dining with wife in Italy


01:48 U.S. Muslim charity received appeal to fund war on Israel


19:32 UN: Iranian uranium enrichment operating well below capacity


02:15 Teachers' unions cancel strike, academic year to begin on time


20:11 Egyptian Actors' Union to probe movie star working with Israeli


20:29 UN: Palestinians growing more dependent on Israeli imports


20:29 IDF asks police to handle possible probe against senior officer


19:33 PM names ex-Navy official Horev to head Atomic Energy Commission