Bedouin girl: 'I lied about being held hostage'

Three Shfaram residents were arrested after 18-year-old, a resident of the Negev, told police that she had been locked in a basement for refusing to have an abortion

Hassan Shaalan|Published: 05.08.12 , 19:29

An 18-year-old Bedouin girl from the Negev who claimed that she had been locked in the basement of a house in Shfaram by three local residents who were trying to force her to have an abortion retracted her story on Tuesday.

The young woman told police in Shfaram that she had lied and hadn't been kidnapped and wasn't being threatened.

'Honor killing' brings tougher law

After the young woman changed her story, the Akko Magistrate's Court decided to release three Shfaram residents who had been suspected of conducting the alleged kidnapping. Police are still investigating the matter.

Shfaram Police Commander Maj.-Gen. Rami Neumark told Ynet that "the young woman came into the station this morning and told us that everything she said in her interview (Monday) was a lie. She changed her story and it's not clear why she did it."

"We are pursuing an investigation against the three suspects, although it's difficult to find out the truth."

Another police source said that the girl had been moved to a women's shelter where she received assistance, but that she later ran away and the police had no knowledge of her whereabouts.

One of the girl's relatives said that the family did not know where she was, either, or what had happened to her. "If this is an affair that resulted in a pregnancy, it's very dangerous – our society won't take her back. She's crossed a red line," the relative said.

A Negev-area social activist said that the girl was in great danger and must be found. "If her family gets to her, they won't let her live," the activist said, calling the shelter "irresponsible" for letting her escape.