Former Military Judge Offers Help to Victim's Family, Later Defends Soldier in Shooting Case

Former military judge Colonel Orly Drori Yaron responded to an investigation revealing that she initially reached out to assist the Kastelman family, victims in a tragic shooting case, by proposing mediation efforts in April of the previous year. She sent a letter to the mediator offering her help to manage a 'restorative justice' process aimed at alleviating the suffering caused by the incident. However, this initiative was not accepted, partly due to concerns about maintaining trust between the victim's family and the military prosecution. Drori Yaron emphasized that her outreach was motivated solely by a desire to help the families involved and was not connected to the defense team in the case.

Subsequently, Drori Yaron continued to follow the case and met with the reserve soldier Frija, the accused in the shooting. Impressed by his character and the perceived injustice he faced, she decided to assist in his defense on certain legal aspects. To do so, she renewed her law license about a week ago. Her involvement thus shifted from an initial offer to aid the victim's family to becoming the defense attorney for the accused soldier.