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One of the defendants in court
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Abu Ta'a in the hospital

6 Jewish teens indicted over Arab's assault

Defendants accused of aggravated battery, theft after beating, punching Arab in Jerusalem last week

An indictment has been filed with the Jerusalem District Court Wednesday against six Jewish teenagers charged with aggravated battery. Two of the defendants are also accused of theft.

 

The indictment suggests that Ibrahim Abu Ta'a and his two friends, including a Jewish girl, attended a work event at a club in Jerusalem's Talpiot neighborhood last Wednesday.

 

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When the girl fell ill, Abu Ta'a and the third friend volunteered to drive her home. They were approached by the defendants when the girl stepped out of the vehicle to throw up.

 

An argument soon developed during which one of the defendants slapped Abu Ta'a. His Jewish friend urged him to get into the car and leave.

 

The three then continued driving several yards when the six defendants surrounded the car. One of them asked the Jewish friend whether Abu Ta'a was Arab and having received an affirmative response said, "There will be no Arab here." At this point, the defendants proceeded to strangle Abu Ta'a and punch him on all parts of his body as he begged them to stop.

 

Abu Ta'a suffered a fractured ankle which required surgery, scraped elbows and hard blows on all parts of his body. "The beatings were racially motivated," the indictment noted. During the assault, the victim's wallet, which contained NIS 350 and $200, dropped and was stolen by one of the defendants.

 

Police said that during the interrogation the defendants tried to implicate each other.

 

Attorney Ehud Katebi, who represents one of the defendants, said his client's family wishes to ask for the victim's forgiveness "as the acts were not racially motivated." "My client expressed remorse but that does not mean he subscribes to the charges against him. There had been a brawl but of the scale described in the indictment."

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.12.12, 16:39
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