Family charged with kidnapping, threatening son for gay lifestyle

Family of gay man who grew up in Tamra indicted for kidnapping, assaulting, falsely imprisoning him over his cross-dressing lifestyle, pictures he posted on Facebook. His mother threatened him: Either erase pictures or it will be end of you

Vered Luvitch|Published: 09.02.10 , 12:45

They kidnapped and threatened their family member over his sexual preferences. Angel's family, who kidnapped him from Tel Aviv in an outrage over his gay and cross-dressing lifestyle, was indicted Thursday in Tel Aviv District Court for a series of serious charges, including kidnapping and false imprisonment.

The indictment states that the family viewed Angel's sexual orientation and his work as a drag queen in Tel Aviv's clubs as a violation of the family's honor, which, in their eyes, justifies killing him. Eight of his family members, including one minor, are charged with kidnapping him on a number of occasions, imprisoning him, and beating him.

Particular irksome to the family were the pictures Angel published on Facebook of himself dressed in women's clothing. The indictment notes that his mother called him three weeks ago and threatened him.

Angel. Kidnapped, beaten, and imprisoned over Facebook photos

"Either erase the pictures from Facebook or your family will come and get you and this will be your end," she said.

The family is suspected of conspiring to commit a crime, kidnapping for the sake of false imprisonment, kidnapping under threat, false imprisonment, threats, and aggravated assault in four different incidents.

The indictment issued by the Tel Aviv District Prosecution asserts that during the most recent incident, which occurred last week, the accused family members allegedly arrived at Angel's residence in Tel Aviv and attacked him and sprayed his eyes with tear gas when he left his apartment. They then forcibly put him in their car to take him north. They then allegedly proceeded to tie his hands with belts, cover his eyes with tape, and threatened to stab him if he didn't keep quiet.

Once they reached Tamra, according to the indictment, they chained him to the window and locked him in a room for a number of hours.

'Because mom is sick'

Last week was not the first time Angel was kidnapped by his family. According to the indictment, in the first incident, family members arrived at Angel's place of work and told him his mother was unwell. When he refused to return with them to Tamra, they forcibly held his hands together, forced him into the car, and drove him to his parents' house in Tamra.

Some of the family members are suspected of kicking and slapping Angel all over his body. They tied his legs together and locked him in a room.

On another occasion, his father and uncle chased him into a forest during a relative's wedding in a bid to bring physical harm to him so that he will cease the actions found to be unfavorable by the family. Angel hid in the forest until the police rescued him.

Attorney Raed Anouz from the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office filed a request in court to arrest seven of the eight defendants in the case until the end of legal proceedings against them.