New suspicions
Appeal Denied: Jerusalem Daycare Staff to Remain in Custody as Judge Cites "Fear of Obstruction"
Jerusalem court keeps staff in custody, citing fear of obstruction. Judge Burshtein dismisses parents' support for the suspects: "Despite all the devotion, two infants are dead."
The Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal filed by the manager and caregiver of the daycare center where two infants tragically died this week, ordering that they remain in custody.
In his ruling, Judge Mordechai Burshtein stated that releasing the suspects to house arrest at this stage poses a tangible risk of obstruction of justice.
The judge addressed the remarkable public support the suspects have received, even from the grieving parents of baby Ari Katz, who stated they would continue to send their children to the daycare.
"In reality, two toddlers were found lifeless in this tragic event," Judge Burshtein said, dismissing the relevance of the parents' stance for the bail hearing. "At this stage, the State must investigate and examine the public interest, and the position of the crime victims cannot change this right now."
He added a stark clarification: "With all due respect to the grace and devotion [of the workers], two are dead. Is there a connection? Maybe. Maybe not? Everything else is less relevant."
Attorney Uri Korb, representing the daycare manager, argued that the media portrayal of the facility "is not how the daycare was actually run."
"They cooperated fully," Korb argued. "The autopsies are not happening, and toxicology reports will take weeks to arrive... The charge should have been different because all the parents support them, including the parents of the deceased infants. There is no fear of obstruction and no danger."
Attorney Sivan Russo, representing the caregiver, highlighted her client's personal distress. "She is a sole breadwinner... She has worked there with devotion for twenty years. She wouldn't dare open a new daycare, not just because of the arrest but because of the humiliation and her immense grief for the babies she knew."
Despite the defense's pleas, the police representative revealed during the hearing that "new suspicions" have surfaced regarding the conduct at the daycare, emphasizing the need to keep the women in custody to investigate these leads immediately.