The trial in Beersheba District Court opened for Bnei Tzion prep-school heads Yuval Kahn and educational program director Aviv Berdichev, who served as a guide in the Nahal Tzafit disaster.
Kahn and Berdichev had security attached until they entered the hall.
Arik, the father of Shani Shamir, one of those killed in the disaster, said, "They must receive the maximum punishment. It is a matter of culture, not a mistake in judgment. If they have any self-respect, they'll confess and get what they deserve."