Tair Rada murder case to be re-examined - Ilana: "It was my heart's desire"

Ilana Rada, mother of Tair Rada, addressed the decision to transfer her daughter's murder case for re-examination in an interview this Tuesday morning on the "Kalman-Liberman" program on Kan Reshet Bet. According to her, no official body updated her or her lawyer about the move, and she does not know what is behind it or what actions are being taken as part of the review.

Rada welcomed the decision and said that the reopening of the case was her heart's desire:

"I can only welcome this move, because it was my heart's desire - that the investigation file be opened again."

She expressed hope that the review would be conducted this time with honesty and fairness, claiming that the public has lost its trust in the systems that are supposed to protect children. According to her, there is forensic evidence in the file that has not been tested to this day, and it is unclear why some of the tests were left aside.

Furthermore, Rada claimed that in the last trial it became clear that some of the evidence presented was incorrect, including the shoe print. She emphasizes that her goal was not to bring about the acquittal of Roman Zadorov, but to locate those who murdered her daughter:

"I am not fighting for 20 years because it is convenient for me or because I want to be famous as many write and think. My goal was not for Zadorov to be acquitted, but to find the real murderers."

Rada added that she is convinced of Zadorov's innocence. According to her, after she was exposed to the investigation materials, she was amazed by the way one can influence a person until they confess to the act. However, she noted that at this stage she is not interested in talking to him for personal reasons.

At the end of last week, it was decided to transfer the investigation file of the Tair Rada murder from the Northern District Police to the Tel Aviv District Police for re-examination. Last September, it was published that the state would compensate Zadorov with 17 million shekels. Zadorov was convicted of the murder, served 15 years in prison, and was acquitted two years ago.

The Tair Rada murder case began in December 2006, when the body of the 13-year-old girl was found in a bathroom stall at the "Nofei Golan" school in Katzrin. The horrific event shocked the entire country, and shortly thereafter Roman Zadorov, a Ukrainian citizen who worked as a tiler at the school, was arrested. Zadorov confessed and reconstructed details known only to the perpetrator, but throughout the process, he claimed his innocence and explained that the confession was extracted under heavy psychological pressure.

Over the years, the case was discussed in various courts: Zadorov was convicted time after time in the District and Supreme Court, but the affair continued to stir the public due to many doubts, controversial forensic evidence, and alternative investigation directions raised by Tair's family and various parties.

These developments eventually led to a retrial, at the end of which in 2023 Roman Zadorov was acquitted of the murder and he will be compensated with millions by the state. Now, with the new attempt to solve the mystery through the Tel Aviv District Police, the public in Israel hopes that modern technology will finally bring justice and an unequivocal answer.