Jerusalem court acquits man charged in nun attack on insanity defence
CCTV footage of the April incident captured the moment the nun was forced to the ground from behind, causing her to hit her head on a stone wall before being kicked.
A Jerusalem court acquitted a man named Yona Schreiber of assaulting a nun in the city's Old City, according to Israel's Kan public television. The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court determined that Schreiber suffered from temporary insanity during the incident and was not responsible for his actions. Schreiber, a 36-year-old man, was arrested in April on suspicion of assaulting the nun near the Tomb of David.
The court accepted the assessment of a district psychiatrist and acquitted Schreiber, ordering him to be hospitalized. Schreiber's attorney, Idan Gamlieli, expressed hope that medical treatment would help him return to optimal functioning and wished the complainant well in overcoming the effects of the incident. According to the report, Schreiber was initially arrested in April on suspicion of assault with a racist motive.
Security footage shows Schreiber running behind the nun before pushing her to the ground and walking away, while his head can be seen hitting a stone structure on the ground. Opposition Knesset member Gilad Kariv described Schreiber's actions as an act of terror and praised the police for the arrest, but he called for more from authorities.
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