Israeli Juvenile Prosecutors Warn of Rising Violence and Earlier Criminality
Prosecutors handling juvenile crime in Israel say they are seeing younger offenders, harsher violence, and more cases tied to gangs, social media, and family or school failures. The article centers on Yael Zelig Abgi, a prosecutor in the Central District, who says this is the most frightening role she has held because the danger feels close to home, especially as a mother of three boys. She describes children being pulled toward crime through learning difficulties, bad peer groups, and online life.
Other prosecutors from Tel Aviv, Haifa, the South, Jerusalem, and the State Attorney’s Office say the age of offenders is dropping and the severity is rising. They cite 14 and 15-year-olds using “organized crime” methods, eighth graders arranging a “red riding hood” attack on a classmate, arson over petty disputes, and knife attacks that begin with insults. Ruth Shavit says crime can begin at age 11 and is no longer isolated. Benny Pascal says the escalation is “huge.”
One striking case involved a 13.5-year-old from Netanya who, after causing disorder on a minibus, waited until he was alone with the driver, then stabbed the 70-year-old five times. The driver was left hospitalized and ventilated in serious condition for a month, and prosecutors said the case could have become a manslaughter file. Another case involved a 15-year-old in Petah Tikva who fatally stabbed Yemanu Benim Zalka, while other teens joined the assault. Prosecutors also described a separate case in which three boys aged 14 to 15 beat and stabbed a victim after an initial insult.
The article explains that juvenile cases are handled under closed proceedings and that rehabilitation is a central principle of youth law, but prosecutors say they must still reflect the seriousness of the act and the harm to victims, many of whom are also minors. They note that because children under 14 cannot usually be detained, the court had to place the 13.5-year-old in a locked youth facility. A recent new procedure requires specially trained prosecutors to handle youth cases and lets district heads make major decisions, including whether to indict.
Prosecutors say online abuse has become another major front, with relationships, bullying, and humiliation now often managed through phones and social media. They describe cases where a naked photo was spread and the girl had to leave her community, and warn that online cruelty can easily turn physical. They blame the surge partly on COVID-19, the war, absent parenting, and weakened welfare and education systems, but say their job is to intervene after the fact and try to prevent the next attack.
