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'Taliban mom' released from prison
Beit Shemesh woman convicted of abusing six of her 12 children released from prison after four years
The woman's husband was also convicted of abuse and failure to report the abuse to the authorities, and was sentenced to six months in prison.
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The mother, who was nicknamed "Taliban mom" on account of her refusal to reveal her face during her trial, was originally charged with abusing all 12 of her children.
The final indictment included multiple counts of abuse against only six of the the children, both due to some of the cases falling under the statute of limitations, and the fact that several of the children refused to testify.
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'Taliban mom' leaving prison (Photo: Yaron Brener)
During the woman's trial, several of the abused children rose to their mother's defense, asking the court for leniency.
"I'm desperately seeking the court's (mercy) in hopes that it would spare me and my brothers any further anguish," H., one of the woman's daughters wrote in a letter to the court.
"Our mother is a sick woman, suffering from a mental disorder, which was responsible for her actions," their statement to the court said. "She needs psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation, not a prison sentence."
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Mother outside prison (Photo: Yaron Brener)
The State's psychiatrists further admitted that the mother has a mental problem. "This woman has been living in the dark and has not been out of her house for 10 years. She needs medical attention," he said.
Eleven of the woman's 12 children supported the plea for leniency, with the exception of the child who was that primary complainant in the case. The mother was eventually sentenced to four years in prison.
In 2010, the High Court denied the mother's appeal and ruled that she would serve her full prison sentence of four years. The High Court further rejected an appeal made by the State Prosecution, which asked the court to order a harsher sentence as they viewed the original sentence as too lenient.
The severe case of child abuse was uncovered in 2008. The indictment which was filed against the woman and her husband included multiple counts detailing years of abuse and neglect. The parents would severely beat their children with household tools and whipped them with the use of belts and cables over a period of nine years. The parents would sometimes lock their children out of the house if they disobeyed them, the indictment read.
In one incident the mother put out a match on the chest of one of her sons and poured bleach into his goalkeeper gloves after he played soccer without her consent.
The indictment further revealed that the parents' continued neglect led to incestuous relations between some of the kids.
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