Youth Court Slams Police Over Arrest of 13-Year-Old With Special Needs
A 13-year-old special needs minor arrested over a bus break-in was released by the Youth Court, which sharply criticized the police for unlawful detention and rights violations.
A 13-year-origin minor with special needs from the south of Israel was arrested last week on suspicion of involvement in a bus break-in. Police requested a four-day extension of his detention for investigative purposes. However, the Youth Court strongly criticized the decision to detain him, the interrogation methods used, and the defense attorney's claim that he was held in a cell alongside an adult for several hours. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Dorit Bondeh ordered his release under his mother's supervision.
Court Criticism of Police Conduct
Advocate Dmitry Dogman of the Public Defender's Office, representing the minor, argued that his client is a child with special needs and that during the detention, he was placed in a cell with an adult. According to the attorney, the separation of the two only occurred after he arrived at the police station and brought the violation to the investigator's attention. The boy's mother told the court that her son is diagnosed with an intellectual disability and has been without an educational or social framework for about two years.
Judge Bondeh sharply criticized the police handling of the case, noting that the minor had only turned 13 three months prior. Despite his young age and special needs, the police decided to arrest him over a property offense.
"It is regrettable that the investigator unit did not exercise discretion and chose not to release the respondent despite his young age already at the police station," Judge Bondeh ruled, emphasizing that the alleged offense did not establish legal grounds for detention under established case law.
Violations of Youth Rights and Release
The judge further highlighted that case records showed the minor was not interrogated by a specialized investigator as required by law for individuals with intellectual or mental disabilities, and was denied other statutory rights. She also addressed the claim regarding the adult cellmate, confirming it violated legal regulations.
At the end of the session, the judge determined that the mother was a suitable supervisor and ordered the boy's release without financial deposit requirements, citing his young age and severe rights violations. The mother signed a third-party guarantee of 3,000 shekels.
