Turgeman after the injury
Photo: Miri Tzachi
Woman injured in Amona sues police
Rebecca Turgeman was crushed by police horses while sitting on road leading to West Bank outpost in 2006, suffers from disability ever since. She decides to file claim for punitive damages against national mounted police commander after Police Investigation Unit failed to point to officers responsible for incident
A young woman has filed a claim for punitive damages with the Herzliya Magistrates' Court against a police superintendent who commanded the mounted police forces during the violent evacuation
of the illegal outpost of Amona in 2006.
According to the statement of claim, filed by Attorney Pinhas Maoz on behalf of the Yesha Human Rights Organization, Turgeman was sitting on the road leading to Amona in the night hours on February 2006.
The plaintiff, Rebecca Turgeman, who was 18 years old at the time, was trampled upon by several mounted police and received a 10% disability rating.
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"One of the mounted police ignored the dozens of girls he encountered and galloped towards them with his horse, unnecessarily and without any provocation on their part, and without exerting any effort to try and ride around them. He even slowed down his pace."
It was also claimed that "while galloping on his horse, he ran into the plaintiff, pushed her to the floor, trampled upon her body under the horse's legs and carried on without slowing down and without examining her condition after the incident.
"Most of the girls sitting next to Turgeman ran away from the area, but Turgeman was left lying on the ground without being able to move. She was later crushed by four or five other mounted police who galloped over her body, and not one mounted police bothered to help or come to her aid."
At the end of the grave incident, it was revealed that Turgeman was badly injured in all parts of her body, particularly in the stomach and left hand. After undergoing a series of physiotherapy treatments, she still suffered from disability in her hand and received a 10% disability rating. According to the statement of claim, she was also traumatized by the horrific incident.
'Officer did nothing to prevent injury'
The Yesha Human Rights Organization said it decided to file the lawsuit after the Police Investigation Unit closed the case, claiming it did not know who was responsible for the injury.
The organization claimed, however, that in a memo found inside the file, a police investigator notes that at the end of the national mounted police commander's interrogation under caution, it was suggested that he draw conclusions from the severe incident and include them in future training sessions. The officer replied that there was no need for that.
According to the plaintiff, since the police failed to point to those directly responsible for the incident, the national mounted police commander "who was personally present and active at the scene" must be put on trial, as he had commanded all the mounted police forces in Amona, including the force which injured Turgeman.
Attorney Maoz added that "the conduct of the mounted police, the defendant's subordinates, was hooligan, violent and cruel. It was a blatant and malicious violation of the law and of the police orders, while being indifferent to the plaintiff's damages… The defendant is responsible for these acts and did not do all in his power – and in fact did nothing – in order to prevent the attack and the damage which followed."
