While married: he wed a 15-year-old, assaulted her — and injured the baby
An indictment was filed against a resident of the Tel Arad area who married a minor illegally, beat her during her pregnancy, and broke her phone when she tried to call for help. Her father is accused of facilitating the marriage. In a separate case, a Rahat resident is accused of bigamy.
The State Attorney's Office filed an indictment today (Tuesday) at the Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court against a 31-year-old resident of the Tel Arad area for bigamy, marriage to a minor, and violence. The defendant married a 15-year-old girl while he was already married and a father of three, and subjected her to ongoing violence that also led to the injury of their infant daughter.
According to the indictment filed by Adv. Giora Hazan of the Southern District Attorney's Office, in 2023 the defendant asked for the minor's hand in marriage from her father. The father, a 62-year-old resident of Rahat, agreed to the move and participated in organizing the wedding, and an indictment was filed against him as well. After the wedding, the girl moved to live in the husband's family compound, where they had a daughter.
During their life together, including while she was pregnant, the man beat the minor on several occasions. He slapped her, pulled her hair, and threw her to the floor. In one incident, when she tried to call the police, he broke her mobile phone.
Another incident of violence occurred after the daughter was born. The defendant broke a window in the house and a glass shard hit the baby's head. Immediately afterward, he pushed the minor and slapped her, until she managed to escape the house with the baby and call the police.
The offenses attributed to the main defendant include bigamy, marriage to a minor, assault under aggravating circumstances, property damage, and assault of a helpless minor.
At the same time, another indictment was filed against a 29-year-old resident of Rahat. At the end of 2021, he traveled to Tulkarm and married his relative, a resident of the Palestinian Authority, despite being married and a father of four. The two moved to live in Rahat, near the home of his first wife, and they had two children. He is accused of bigamy and illegal harboring under aggravating circumstances.
