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Court extends remand of sixth suspect in case of abused Jerusalem toddlers By Jonathan Lis and Roni Singer-Heruti Tags: child abuse The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court extended the remand of Avraham Masklatchi by four days on Monday. Masklatchi is the sixth suspect to be named in a child-abuse case revolving around a Jerusalem family. The case surfaced when two brothers, aged 3 and 4, were hospitalized with severe injuries. One remains in a coma. Their family, which has eight children, had been hosting several men named as abuse suspects. The men's spiritual leader allegedly told them to discipline the children with methods that included beating and burning them. Masklatchi had tried to flee twice from police investigators seeking to arrest him. The court remanded him so that he could not flee again. Advertisement Shimon Sharvit, Masklatchi's defense attorney, said his client is not connected to the children's abuse. Sharvit said his client is a neighbor of David Kugman, who was charged with abuse last week. Sharvit said his client also studies at the Nahar Hashalom Yeshiva with Shimon Gabai, another suspect in the case and currently a fugitive, but that he had not seen Gabai in several weeks. The defense denied that Masklatchi knows where Gabai is hiding. The police presented evidence to the court showing that the victims had said Masklatchi was party to the abuse. In another case, a mother from Or Yehuda suspected of beating and shaking her 2-month-old infant son was released to house arrest on Monday after the prosecution concluded that it had insufficient evidence to charge her. The child's father was released a few days earlier. "I did not hit my children; it is a lie," she said. "I love them and I only want to hug them." The police investigators and the prosecution had disagreed on how to proceed with the investigation in this case. The prosecution and the judge conducting the remand hearing believe the police failed to investigate the matter well enough to find conclusive evidence of abuse. The parents had been held for the past three weeks, while the police built up a case based on a medical pathology report that concluded the infant had been abused. The mother had brought the child to Tel Hashomer hospital in serious condition two weeks ago. His skull had been fractured, and he was bleeding inside his cranium. His condition has improved since then, and he is expected to be released from hospital. The child had been in the care of his parents, but the police could not confirm they were responsible for the abuse. Related articles: 'The mother forced her children to eat feces, burned their hands' Parents held in case of Jerusalem child abuse Police to demand extradition of Rabbi believed behind child abuse sect Welfare Min. data shows 10,000 children at risk of parental abuse Bookmark to del.icio.us   Falk's folly Israel will refuse entry to the UN's Richard Falk for equating Israel to Nazi Germany. Peace when? After 30 years, the public has adopted Peace Now's views, but peace is still elusive.   1.   Rabbis speak out please 05:48  |  adam 08/04/08   2.   Adam, Shas are to busy with other things 08:37  |  SJ 08/04/08   3.   rabbis response 08:39  |  lu 08/04/08   4.   Are all these abusers "God-fearing"...?! 09:43  |  Esther 08/04/08   5.   Child abuse 12:21  |  Valerie 08/04/08   6.   Violent extremists are violent extremists. 13:33  |  Nicole 08/04/08   7.   The Black Hat Does Not Cure Satan 20:03  |  Simeon ben Jacob 08/04/08

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