A neighbor of a Jerusalem woman accused of withholding food from her child denounces the media attacks against “such a dedicated mother.” In an interview with Voice of Israel government radio, Rabbanit Yocheved Grossman said that the child’s low weight is due to his suffering from cancer for several years and subsequent chemotherapy treatment. She also claimed that it is untrue that the mother is suffering from mental illness. “She doesn’t have any syndrome, they are lies. She’s absolutely normal. She has successfully raised four children. Why should an expectant mother be sent to prison instead of being allowed to feed her son?” Grossman added. In addition, she asked why the mother was jailed instead of being sent to a psychiatric hospital if she really is suffering from mental illness.
Hospital officials claim that a hidden hospital camera caught the mother removing a feeding tube from the child. The woman was subsequently arrested for child abuse. Grossman said that it is more likely that the tube fell out of the weak child’s mouth.
Hadassah Medical Center subsequently responded to Grossman’s account, and stated that the child has never received chemotherapy nor has been treated for a malignant growth.