Haredi father: Police fabricated confession
Ultra-Orthodox father accused of killing his 3-month-old son says police used 'despicable methods' to 'fabricate a confession' that he beat toddler to death
Israel Asher Valas, the father accused of killing his 3-month-old toddler accused the police of having used "despicable methods" to "fabricate a confession" that he beat his son to death.
"They are total criminals; you cannot imagine which despicable methods they used against me to fabricate a 'confession.' Even if they wanted to prove that I made an atomic bomb they would have succeeded," he said upon his release to house arrest Tuesday evening.
Valas being released to house arrest (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
Valas' wife told confidents that when her husband was arrested, an investigator disguised as a lawyer sent by the family spoke to her husband in Yiddish and succeeded in convincing him that if he pleads guilty he will be released immediately.
She said her husband told the investigator he is not willing to lie but he offered to put this in writing so no lies are said on his behalf.
That's why the police possess a confession to the murder written by her husband, something which is not acceptable in general. She said her husband suffered a series of "menacing and terrible" abuses.
His cousin, Ephraim Grienfeld said: "He feels better and not under pressure. It is clear he doesn't feel guilty. He thanks God he no longer has to suffer their abuse. I know the yeshiva student well and it is crystal clear to me that the confession was taken forcibly and under pressure. Everyone who knows him says the same."
'Protests contributed to the release'
Valas' uncle, Tzvi Eisenstein, told Ynet: "After the struggle we can say we achieved what we wanted: house arrest. Now we continue the big legal struggle, everything is ahead of us. The student is excited and doesn't digest the house arrest; he is very confused and still can't believe he is home. He can't digest the sweeping support from the public."
Eisenstein said: "The young student feels much better, and we are all calmer now. We are still in the first stages of digesting that he arrived home. We received him with a preplanned celebratory meal. The welcome was very emotional."
Since his release to house arrest, family members, businessmen and acquaintances came to visit. Haredi spiritual leaders decided against public celebrations and called on the public to pray for the truth and for him to be found innocent in court.
Family members said the sweeping support they enjoyed from rabbis materialized only after they presented "a lot of documents and testimonies which proved his innocence."
A man who was involved in haredi protests against Valas' arrest said: "The protests contributed to and caused the cession of police torture and discrimination. The arrest of a bereaved father on the eve of Passover, was an unnecessary abuse since the probe was completed in the first few days, and it was clear he poses no danger to the public and there was no doubt of disrupting the probe as the police said."
