Man who killed his rapist refused early release
Yonatan Heilo, who has so far served more than 7 years in prison for the murder of the man who raped him, is denied a shortened sentence over the lack of a rehabilitation plan for him.
The Israel Prisons Service Parole Board decided Wednesday not to shorten the sentence of Yonatan Heilo, who has been sitting in prison for the past seven-and-a-half years for killing Yaron Atalin, who it was discovered had raped him.
However, the committee noted in its decision its willingness to hold another hearing over the issue in six months' time.
"The Committee recommends that during this period, and as soon as possible, the prisoner will be integrated into a special support group for people with violent tendencies, with an emphasis on the offense for which he was convicted."
Heilo's attorney said he intends to appeal the decision, and that he believes "that the appeal could reverse (the board's) decision."
"Heilo was very disappointed," the attorney said. "The State Prosecutor's Office and the judges say he should not be released because further treatment is needed. I asked the committee, 'Where have you been in the last seven years when he needed a psychologist to talk to him about how he was raped twice?'
"I respect the committee's decision, but believe that the truth has its power, as we have proven until now. It changed the minds of all those who thought he should be in prison for life. I believe that this time, too, we will reach the District Court and the decision will be reversed."
The State Attorney's Office (SAO) opposed Heilo's early release in the absence of any rehabilitation plan, though noted that if a plan is presented, it will withdraw its objection.
President Reuven Rivlin announced in November that he has decided to commute Heilo's prison sentence, who was convicted in 2010 for Atalin's murder.
Rivlin ordered part of Heilo's prison term to be converted to a suspended sentence, to allow him to be eligible for parole.
During Heilo's trial, it was found that he had been raped twice by Atalin, which led to a reduced sentence, of 20 years, in addition to Heilo being ordered to pay Atalin's family damages.
In 2016, the court changed his conviction to manslaughter and reduced his sentence further to 12 years. In their ruling, the judges accepted Heilo's claim that he was petrified of Atalin, and that he was suffering from severe distress due to experiencing prolonged and significant abuse.
Rivlin informed Heilo a year ago—represented by attorney Alon Eizenberg—that he would reconsider his position not to pardon him were he to submit another appeal after a substantial amount of time had passed, allowing the president to take into account the rehabilitation he had undergone during his incarceration.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked also issued a recommendation to shorten Heilo's sentence, after accepting the Justice Ministry's position, thereby allowing him to present his case before a parole board sooner than planned.
In an interview following his request for a pardon, Heilo said, "I feel I've faced racism from the system. It's clear to me that were I a white man, they would have looked at me differently. They would never have dared speak to a white man who had been raped the way they spoke to me, or to a woman. A man who is raped gets laughed at."
Several dozen MKs signed Heilo's pardon request. His arrest pushed social activists to wage a campaign calling for his release.
