Jerusalem court acquits a man indicted in nun attack, orders psychiatric care
- A Jerusalem court acquitted a man accused of attacking a Catholic nun due to his insanity defense.
- The judge ordered him to be committed to psychiatric hospitalization for up to six years.
- The assault occurred in April in Jerusalem's Old City, raising concerns among Christian communities.
- The district psychiatrist determined that the man was psychotic at the time of the attack.
- There has been an increase in incidents of harassment against Christians in Jerusalem, particularly by Jewish religious nationalists.
A Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court judge acquitted a man accused of attacking a Catholic nun based on his insanity defense, but ordered him committed to psychiatric hospitalization for up to six years.
The violent assault in April on a nun walking in her habit in Jerusalem’s Old City sent shock waves across Israel and its many Christian communities. Clergy and advocates say verbal abuse and spitting have grown increasingly common in the densely packed historic heart of Jerusalem.
On Wednesday, a judge ruled that there was evidence that a Jewish man from a settlement in the occupied West Bank committed the actions he was charged with, but he was entitled to an insanity defense after the district psychiatrist found he was psychotic at the time of the attack.
The director of The French Biblical and Archeological School of Jerusalem expressed hope that the psychiatric hospitalization would ensure public safety and allow the nun to recover psychologically.
Yisca Harani, founder of the Religious Freedom Data Center, noted that even mentally unstable individuals can be influenced by the prevailing discourse around them, highlighting a significant increase in incidents targeting Christians in recent years.
耶路撒冷法院宣判一名袭击修女的男子无罪，命令接受精神治疗
耶路撒冷一名治安法庭法官因精神失常辩护宣判一名袭击修女的男子无罪，但命令他接受最多六年的精神住院治疗。
四月在耶路撒冷老城袭击一名身着修女服的修女的暴力事件，引发了以色列及其众多基督教社区的震惊。神职人员和倡导者表示，在耶路撒冷历史悠久的核心地区，口头虐待和吐口水的事件越来越普遍。
周三，法官裁定有证据表明一名来自被占领西岸定居点的犹太男子实施了他所被指控的行为，但由于地区精神科医生认定他在袭击时精神失常，他有权进行精神失常辩护。
耶路撒冷法国圣经与考古学校的主任表示希望，精神住院治疗能够确保公共安全，并使修女在心理上恢复。
宗教自由数据中心创始人Yisca Harani指出，即使是精神不稳定的人也可能受到周围主流话语的影响，强调近年来针对基督徒的事件显著增加。