An individual suffering from mental illness allegedly assaulted two elderly rabbis last week after making threats to harm them.
One of the victims, who serves as a rabbi in Gush Etzion, gave testimony at the police station over the weekend following the suspect's arrest.
The first hearing on the matter was held on Saturday night. During the hearing, the suspect acted unruly, yelling and making it impossible for the court to proceed properly. In response, Judge Zion Saharay had him removed from the courtroom. Despite the ruling to release the suspect to an alternative form of detention, the judge ordered his custody to be extended due to a lack of a proper alternative.
The suspect was brought for a second hearing before Judge Erlich at the Magistrate's Court. After reviewing the police's position and the circumstances, it was decided to extend his custody again.
Sources with knowledge of the case noted that since the initial police complaint, additional complaints were submitted to the police, some by minors, who testified that the suspect publicly expressed pedophilic tendencies and even sent obscene videos and indecent offers. However, these claims were not looked at in depth during the current hearing.
The police also have reports that the suspect violated his parole following a previous arrest, when he threatened the complainants immediately after his release under restrictive conditions.
"A person like this unfortutly belongs in long-term hospitalization, with the hope that it would do go for him and he could return to normalcy. Without effective action by law enforcement and involvement by the regional psychiatrist, this could, G-d forbid, cost lives," sources said.