State Appeals Jerusalem Court's Light Sentence for Father Who Choked Infant

According to the reports, the abuse began when the infant was only a month old and continued over several months. The father repeatedly pinched, bit, and shook the baby. When the infant cried in the evenings, the father would press two fingers to his neck, choking him until he lost consciousness for several seconds to force him to sleep. The court determined that this choking method had become the father's standard way of putting the child to sleep.

The case was uncovered in 2018 after the mother suspected the baby was being harmed during a visit to a Tipat Halav clinic, prompting intervention by social services and the police. The prosecution warned that the infant's life was saved only by a miracle.

Although the Jerusalem District Court initially set the appropriate sentencing range at two to four years, it deviated downward to 12 months due to rehabilitation considerations and the time elapsed since the offenses. The prosecution argues that this sentence grossly trivializes child abuse and is appealing for a harsher penalty.