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Yaakov Teitel. Unfit?
Photo: Guy Turgeman

Victims: Teitel lying about mental state

Jewish terror suspect faked psychosis to evade justice, victims' relatives charge following psychiatric evaluation; Arab who shoots Jews is a terrorist, but Jew who shoots Arabs is insane, MK Tibi says

Relatives of Yaakov Teitel's victims are unconvinced by a psychiatric evaluation deeming the Jewish terror suspect mentally unfit to stand trial because he is currently in a psychotic state.

 

Ynet learned earlier that the medical opinion would be submitted to the court this Wednesday.

 

A statement published by the family of Samir Balbisi, the east Jerusalem taxi driver allegedly murdered by Teitel, and the family of Ami Ortiz, who was severely injured by a bomb Teitel allegedly sent, said they believed the defendant was lying about his mental condition.

 

"The families have not ruled out the option that Teitel, who in the past managed to fool a police lie-detector after reading professional literature on the matter, has read professional literature on the field of mental health and is now attempting to deceive the medical system by faking psychosis, in order to evade justice via a plea of insanity," the statement said.

 

Ynet learned Tuesday that a Jerusalem District psychiatrist ruled that Teitel is unfit to stand trial. The evaluation, to be presented during a hearing at the Jerusalem District Court Wednesday, notes that one cannot determine with any certainty the extent of Teitel's accountability for his actions.

 

It also said he is incapable of constructively communicating with his lawyers or the judges, that he is paranoid and delusional, and that he could not effectively judge reality.

 

"We will be at the hearing at the district court in order to study the evaluation closely," the families' statement said. "It seems to be nothing more than an attempt by the defense to delay the beginning of the trial to a later date for reasons which remain unclear – no statute of limitations applies to the murders  Teitel is charged with."

 

The statement added that the families would not rest until Teitel was brought to justice for the crimes he committed against them.

 

Arab parties were also infuriated by the evaluation. "As expected, another Arab-killing terrorist has been found unfit to stand trial," MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash) said.

 

"The man who amazed everyone with the sophistication of his crimes is suddenly unfit to stand trial. It proves once again that the Israeli court system is unfit to dole out justice. Arab blood is not considered blood in the Israeli court system as long as the murderer is like this terrorist."

 

MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) said he was "stunned" at the "intolerable ease with which Jewish murderers are legitimized by claiming they are unfit to stand trial".

 

"In Israel, an Arab who shoots Jews is a terrorist, but a Jew who shoots Arabs is insane. This is an insane system that must shake up its psychiatrists and those who endorse them," he said.

 

Tibi's party member, MK Taleb El-Sana, added: "This is a most ingenious crazy man, who planned and carried out several terror acts against Arabs and leftists. If in light of all this he is unfit, then no one is fit. Mental fitness has become a sanctuary for Jewish criminals seeking to evade justice for their crimes."

 

Sharon Roffe-Ofir contributed to this report

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.04.10, 21:17
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