Prosecution Seeks Harsher Sentence for Assault Leading to 100% Disability

The State Prosecutor's Office has appealed a lenient sentence handed down to Daniel Cohen, 33, from Herzliya, who was convicted of grievous bodily harm. Cohen assaulted a parking lot attendant in July 2022 after the attendant asked him to move his illegally parked car. The assault, a single punch to the face, caused the 58-year-old attendant to fall, hit his head on the ground, and lose consciousness. He was hospitalized for nearly ten months and is now 100% disabled, quadriplegic, and requires constant care for the rest of his life.

Cohen was initially sentenced by the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court to 21 months in prison as part of a plea deal. However, the District Prosecutor's Office is now seeking to significantly increase his sentence to 48 months in prison. In their appeal, prosecutors argue that the lower court did not adequately consider the severity of the victim's injuries and the profound, irreversible impact on his life, including physical, emotional, functional, and economic consequences.

The prosecution also contends that the precedents cited by the lower court involved significantly less severe injuries. They emphasized that Cohen, then 29, used violence against a 58-year-old employee who was merely performing his job, without any provocation from the attendant. The appeal highlights the need for deterrence, given the devastating and permanent outcome of the violent act.