Life Sentence for Man Who Killed His Partner in Central Israel

The Central District Court in Lod sentenced Moshe Atiyas to life imprisonment plus two additional years, to be served consecutively, after convicting him of aggravated murder of his partner and mother of their three children, Sigalit Barakha, 54. The court also ordered Atiyas to pay the maximum compensation allowed by law to her family, 258,000 shekels.

According to the verdict, Atiyas struck Barakha on the head seven times with a weight, then took a kitchen knife and stabbed her repeatedly in order to make sure she was dead. The killing took place in the family context and was committed against the mother of his three children.

After the attack, Atiyas left the scene, reported that he had killed his wife, and when he noticed police forces approaching, tried to flee. His escape ended when he crashed into a Border Police vehicle.

Prosecutor attorney Einat Lev Ari said, “The sentence will not bring Sigalit back, but it brings some comfort and justice to her memory.”