High Court upholds Peres' okay to cut jail terms in youth's murder

The High Court Monday upheld a decision approved by President Shimon Peres to reduce the sentences of the killers of a teenager murdered in 1983, prompting the youth's family to charge that the state had betrayed them in favor of the murderers.

The youth, Danny Katz, then 14 years old, was killed by five Israeli Arabs in Haifa. His murderers were arrested and after several remands and a very lengthy trial they were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment plus 27 years.

However, the High Court ruled recently that the sentence of his murderers would be reduced from 45 to 30 years in jail. The decision, which was then approved by President Shimon Peres, sparked an appeal by the family, which asked the court to let the original sentences stand.

"In the state of Israel today, murderers, rapists and terrorists have rights, but victims have none. The blood of this child is calling out from the earth. I cannot give up," the slain youth's father, Moshe Katz, said Monday after the court ruled against the family's appeal.

Justices Uzi Fogelman and Yoram Danziger rejected the appeal completely, and explained that "Although many years have passed, this still remains a heinous crime. However, there is no way to overrule the decision of the state's president to reduce the sentences of these criminals".

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Edmond Levy agreed with the Katz family members, saying that a sentencing review committee's decision to release the prisoners early was based on a mistaken presumption.

"If Peres had not already made his decision, I would have suggested that the committee rethink and reconsider their judgments" wrote Levy.

Katz family members are expected to ask for a retrial with an expanded panel of High Court judges. Following the court's ruling, Danny's brother, Amnon Katz, told Army Radio, "This is a very difficult feeling, it is almost as if the state has betrayed us. They support and are concerned about cruel murderers who decided to take revenge upon the Jewish nation, and they are screwing the good citizens of this state."