Police: 'Starving mother' may flee country
Investigation team head says evidence support s suspicions that haredi mother severely hurt her child
A Haredi mother being held on charges of starving her child may flee the country if released, police officials said Thursday.
"Our most substantial fear is that, should the mother be released from remand, Haredi elements will try to smuggle her out of the country," said Superintendent Eli Cohen, who leads the special team investigating the case.
Police officials also said they are trying to prevent the kidnapping of the hospitalized child by Haredi elements, despite no intelligence indicating such intention.
For the past three days, angry Orthodox staged demonstrations in Jerusalem in protest of the arrest of the mother, suspected of starving her three-year old son.
In a press briefing, Superintendent Cohen said police have collected testimonies from doctors and other individuals that supported the suspicions against the mother. These include alleged prevention of food and violence causing physical injuries.
The official added that police have not yet been able to see the mother's other children.
The mother will be brought to the Magistrate's Court in Jerusalem Friday for an detention extention, so that police can undertake further probes, Cohen said.
"The mother chose to remain silent in all interrogations and has been uncooperative...further investigation is required," he said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem said the child's condition continues to improve, as he's gaining weight and is slowly recovering physically. The sources categorically denied rumors implying that the child is ill with cancer or being treated with chemotherapy.
