Israeli Predator Kills 17 Year Old Girl, Judge Says He's Not Guilty

The Haifa District Court today unanimously acquitted Edward Katsura of the murder of teenager Yael Melnik, finding reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case. Katsura was instead convicted of negligent homicide (causing death by negligence).

The court's decision, which followed a lengthy, reasoned verdict, pointed to several **evidentiary difficulties** and accepted a medical opinion presented by the defense.

The Background and The Defense's Account

Yael Melnik's body was discovered partially buried in a construction site in Kiryat Motzkin in early October 2021.

Relationship: Katsura, a 51-year-old man, had worked as a nurse at the psychiatric hospital where the 17-year-old Melnik was a patient, and the two were involved in a relationship.

Katsura's Claim: Katsura maintained that he did not murder Melnik. He claimed he buried her in the sand as part of a "re-birth" ritual" that Melnik, who he described as spiritual and his great love, had requested to help her feel she was starting fresh.

Death by Accident: According to Katsura's version, Melnik used a snorkel to breathe while being briefly covered. He alleges she later returned to the spot and continued the ritual alone. The defense's medical opinion suggested that her death was accidental, possibly caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide in the snorkel, leading her to lose consciousness and inhale sand and gravel that obstructed her airways.

While acquitting him of murder, the court emphasized that the verdict does not absolve Katsura of responsibility for Melnik's death, stating his actions and failures "allowed the execution of the 'ritual' that led to her death."

Katsura was also convicted of two additional charges:

1. Illegal sexual relations with consent (exploiting the victim's dependence on him).

2. Violating a legal order (breaching a restraining order that forbade him from meeting the victim).

Attorney Yaniv Manor of the Public Defender's Office welcomed the ruling, stating: "This is a difficult and painful tragedy, but it's important to stress that Edward had no intention of causing Yael's death... We thank the court for accepting our claims and acquitting Edward of the charge of murder."

The verdict was met with shock and outrage from advocates for victims' families. Lira Zinman, Chairwoman of the Organization of Families of Murdered Women, strongly criticized the justice system:

Zinman also emphasized the court did not give enough weight to the active restraining order, the unequal power dynamic between a 51-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl, and the betrayal of trust.