Public Defender Slams Prison Service for Abandoning Minor in Nazareth
A 16-year-old minor released from detention was left stranded in Nazareth without transport before a holiday, prompting a sharp complaint by the Public Defender's Office against the Israel Prison Service.
A 16-year-old minor released from detention was left wandering alone in the streets of Nazareth without money or transport to his home in the Jerusalem area, hours before the start of Shabbat and the Sukkot holiday. The incident drew a sharp complaint letter sent by Wassim Shehadeh, head of the youth division at the Public Defender's Office in the Northern District, to the commander of the Israel Prison Service's Nahshon Unit.
According to the complaint, the decision to release the teenager into the streets without accompaniment or a practical way to reach his home on the eve of a holiday violated a court order and endangered his safety. Upon learning of the release, Shehadeh personally left his home to search for the minor in the Nazareth court area, eventually locating the frightened and helpless teenager wandering the streets.
Shehadeh managed to help the minor charge his mobile phone, but public transportation had already ceased operations ahead of the holiday. Shehadeh ultimately took the teenager to the Nof Hagalil police station, where officers provided him with food and coordinated his return home via the Beit She'an police. The minor arrived safely home late in the evening.
The Public Defender's Office demanded an investigation into the Nahshon Unit's conduct, questioning why the release was delayed and why the minor was abandoned without transportation protocols on a holiday eve. In response, the Israel Prison Service stated that the release was processed within minutes of receiving court authorization, and that the minor's defense counsel had previously declared that an employer would pick him up from detention.
