4 haredim suspected of assaulting woman released
Court orders release of three of five suspects arrested in connection to attack on woman in Beit Shemesh; police release another suspect
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Wednesday ordered the release of three of the five suspects arrested in relation to the violent attack on Natalie Mashiah in Beit Shemesh. One suspect's remand was extended by two days and another was released under restrictions by the police.
Police are planning to appeal the ruling on Thursday and the three suspects will stay in custody until then.
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Dozens of haredim attacked 27-year-old Mashiah on Tuesday as she was putting up posters in Beit Shemesh. They hurled stones at her, poured bleach in her car and spat on her. They continued to attack her as she hid in her car, causing the windshield to shatter. She later tied to escape to a nearby building. "I thought I was going to die," she later said.
Mashiah in her car. 'I thought I was going to die' (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)
"This is a brutal gender-based lynch directed at a woman who was just doing her job," the police representative said in court.
Police motioned to extend the suspects' remand by five days but the judge denied the request. Suspect Yona Eichler, 28, was released on bail and suspects Raphael Ekstein, 31, and Elazar Liebermensch were released to house arrest. Yehoshua Mordechai Bluya's remand was extended until January 27 and Nachman Segal was released under restrictions.
The judge said that grounds for suspicion varied according to the suspect and noted that Ekstein was released to house arrest for humanitarian reasons pertaining to his wife.
Some eye witnesses claimed the victim lifted her shirt at one point, but noted she was wearing another shirt underneath thus not exposing her body. Mashiah denied the claim.
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