No action against Be'er Sheva cops accused of beating confession from suspect

The Justice Ministry's Police Investigation Department (PID) recently closed the case of a youth who was allegedly beaten by four policemen in Be'er Sheva, causing him serious injuries.

Although the assault was witnessed by the boy's father and four friends, and the injuries the youth complained of were confirmed by medical records from Soroka Medical Center, the PID earlier chose not to investigate the incident

According to officials, in February 2007 police entered the home of a 17-year-old youth and asked if he had carried out a robbery. After the youth denied any involvement, the police were alleged to have taken him into his room to search him, he wrote in his complaint.

The youth claims he did not resist or provoke the policemen, who sat him down and handcuffed him. The complaint states that one of the policemen then kicked him in the face, causing blood to spurt out from his face and rupturing his palate. The complaint states that a policeman then threw objects he took out of his closet at the youth.

Then, the complaint sheet says, policemen pulled the youth out of his house and pushed him down the building's stairs. He rolled to the ground floor, injuring his ear, knees and back. In the Be'er Sheva police interrogation room the complaint claims policemen slapped the suspect in the face.

At one point, the complaint notes, a policemen stroked the youth's head and said "look what a good looking boy," then slapped him hard.

The beating stopped the moment the youth confessed to the crime.

The medical document from the hospital confirms that the youth's left ear drum was punctured and that he sustained injuries in his ear lobe and upper lip.

The Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court ordered taking a photograph of the youth's face and sending him for medical treatment following a hearing on February 5, 2007, after the boy's attorney said he had been beaten by policemen.

Late complaint

However, the complaint was only filed in April 2008 by Einat Sandler of the Public Defender's Office, due to the boy's fear that the policemen would carry out their threats to again beat him if he complained about them. In September of this year, Haaretz published the story of Detectives Yossi Bar and Moshe Shenkor of the Be'er Sheva police who had been convicted in October 2004 of assaulting two 16-year-old boys in 2002. The two are continuing at their posts pending the final outcome of the case.

The Justice Ministry said yesterday that the complaint had been filed a year and three months after the event. Despite the long delay, the PID decided to look into it, a ministry spokesman said.

The police had a possible alternative explanation to the injuries caused to the youth, as he had confessed that he had been involved in a violent robbery, the spokesman said.

"Since more than a year has passed since the incident...we thought the chances of reaching any finding to corroborate the complainant's version were slim. Therefore it was decided not to continue the inquiry," he said.