Police: Suspect in daughters' killing 'cruel'
Investigation into killings of two little girls by their father in Bedouin village shocked even most veteran detectives, police representative tell court
There is great likelihood that Ali Amtirat murdered his two daughters, the Beersheba District Court ruled Thursday, extending his remand by 13 days.
The lifeless bodies of 4-year-old Asinad and 2-year-old Rimas, were found on May 21 in the Bedouin of Al Furah. Since then, Amtirat vanished until his arrest two weeks ago. In court it was revealed that there was a witness tying Amtirat directly to the girls’ murders.
Police representative Chief Warrant Officer Haim Didi told the court that this was one of the most shocking investigations which detectives from the Negev region had handled, and that the police invested great financial resources in arresting the suspect, especially due to the high sensitivity of the issue.
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Didi also noted that when they questioned relatives after the murders, it became evident how the father treated his daughters. “With all of my experience, their descriptions of what he did to his daughters was shocking,” the police officer said.
To recap events, the two girls’ mother filed a complaint with police, fearing for her daughters’ lives, but because she was a resident of the territories, her complaint was not received or checked into. As a result, the commander of the Arad police lost his job.
Murdered sisters Rimas, 2, Asinad, 4 (family photo)
According to suspicions, after the father murdered his daughters, he fled to the Dead Sea area, and there he was arrested 40 days later in Nahal Kina. The police suspected that his family members were planning to smuggle him out of the country, and some even assisted him by providing food and water.
Amtirat with daughter Rimas
In court, Didi said, “The main suspicion is the double murder of the two girls. Before the murders, he had committed many serious offenses. He committed violent kidnappings using guns and with the help of relatives. Some of these relatives have had charges filed against them. He also attacked the mother of his daughters.”
According to him, the suspect continues to deny the charges against him and he provided an alibi which was disproven. He emphasized, “This is a very cruel suspect.”
Amtirat’s attorney, public defender Tomer Orinov said during the court session that the court shoud be “disturbed” by the police’s case.
“My feeling when I hear these things is that the police do not have real evidence tying the suspect to the incident. What is left is to say how much the incident was harsh and chilling, and how much money the police invested,” Orinov said.
