Two years in actual prison were sentenced to the abusive kindergarten teacher Sarit Ben Hamo from Kiryat Ata/Yoav Itiel
The district court in Haifa today (Monday) sentenced Sarit Ben Hamo, a kindergarten teacher from Kiryat Ata, to two years of actual imprisonment only and another year of probation, who was convicted of two counts of abuse and more than 30 counts of assault that she committed against 14 toddlers.
In addition, the court ordered his father-in-law to compensate the injured children with NIS 80,000.
"Violence at a level that is not high. The intensity of the acts of assault at the low level, this is not spontaneous violence that can testify to cruelty," noted Judge Erez Porat in the lenient sentence that left the parents who listened to him in the courtroom angry and frustrated.
The documentation of the abuse in Kiryat Ata
In the video: the documentation of the abuse at the Babyland Kindergarten in Kiryat Ata and the filing of an indictment against the kindergarten teacher/photo: Yoav Itiel and security cameras
In August, his son-in-law was convicted, who, among other things, slapped, beat, force-fed and kicked toddlers.
The affair exploded in March 2022 thanks to a recording device, which revealed the actions of Ben-Hamo and led to her arrest and filing of a serious indictment that includes more than 150 counts of assault and abuse, including mental abuse towards the toddlers she cared for.
Then videos were also revealed.
Judge Erez Porat convicted her of two counts of abuse of a minor by a responsible person and 31 counts of simple assault, but acquitted her of mental abuse.
The sentencing was postponed time and time again for various reasons.
The parents were disappointed that the judge acceded to the arguments of her defense attorney, attorney Tomer Neve, and acquitted her of most of the charges against her, and they are now calling on the prosecutor's office to appeal.
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Sarit Ben Hamu in court, today/Yoav Ityel
Noi Meman Drupavsky, a mother from the kindergarten, did not hide her anger in a conversation with Walla!.
"After a long struggle of two years, I thought that even though the judge acquitted her of most of the charges, that he would do justice to our children and he proved that he was not. A two-year ban for what she did is a joke," she said angrily.
"She hurt our children, we deal with the consequences of her actions every day and the court just laughs in our faces. I really hope that the prosecution will appeal this ridiculous sentence and that her sentence will be made worse."
Chen Kubritz Cohen, from the headquarters of the fight for the children, which accompanies the parents, added: "We are really not surprised by Judge Porat's sentence. We have gotten used to the fact that time and time again he is lenient with those who abuse and harm our children, and apparently two years is enough for him. We probably need to remind the judge that we finished a long time ago with Ridiculous punishment, there is a worsening of punishment for abusers and it is appropriate that he also be aligned according to this trend. Happily, coalition chairman Ofir Katz's law on worsening punishment applies to all cases since the law was passed and in the future cases brought before Judge Porat will require him to comply with the law.
There is no doubt that this is not enough for the parents, but they will now be able to start and rehabilitate the children and their family, since we must not forget that even if she goes to prison, the children are still living the trauma and harm and it will take time for them to get stronger, if at all."
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abuse
Child abuse
toddlers
Kinder gardens
Kiryat Ata
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