Police Close Investigation Into Assault of Visually Impaired Holon Resident
Israel Police have closed the investigation into the assault of a visually impaired Holon resident who was attacked after failing to pick up after his guide dog.
Nearly two months after Kochavi Refael Kochav, a visually impaired resident of Holon, was assaulted in a park near his home reportedly for failing to pick up after his guide dog, the Israel Police have closed the investigation file after failing to locate the suspect. "It seems that blind people in Israel are not so important," he told ynet with pain. "I am saddened by this," Kochav shared in a conversation with ynet. "All my friends from the blind association are in shock that the police closed the case. This is not the first time blind people have been attacked, but this time I decided not to remain silent because it crossed a red line, but it seems that blind people in Israel do not matter much." According to him, security cameras at the scene captured the attack and the assailant, but the police did not track him down. "You can see in the cameras that I am receiving blows, but you cannot understand the intensity or hear the screams. You can see how people left me alone until I called the police. Only a few days later did a female neighbor who witnessed the incident give me her phone number and testify at the police station. Until now, the police have not released the attacker's picture to the media to help find him."
The Attack and the Aftermath
Kochav described the assault, which took place on Saturday, August 15: "I went down with my dog for a walk in Gan HaAmitzim in Holon at 6:00 in the morning. The dog was on the lawn and relieved herself. I couldn't pick up her feces because I cannot see, and blind people are exempt from picking up waste. Suddenly I felt someone pressing against me from behind. I didn't know what he had. I felt something hard touching my back. I made a sound of fright because I was startled, and he said, 'Clean up the dog's feces immediately.' I explained to me that I am blind and he said I was a liar and started going wild." Kochav further recounted: "He beat me all over my body, threw dog feces from the park onto my body and face, and kicked me. It happened really fast. I started screaming and he fled. I released the dog because I was afraid he would attack her too. I heard people there so I shouted for them to call the police, but no one came to my rescue. Apparently, they were afraid of him. After he left, I heard people saying 'no need for the police' and no one offered me help. I called the police three times because I was afraid he would return, and I wanted someone to stay on the line with me so I wouldn't be alone."
"I walk down the street today with the dog and every rustle behind me I quickly turn around and fear," he described the trauma since the attack. "I cannot sit at home like in prison. This case needs to be handled to create deterrence, but as long as the police do not publish the suspect's picture, how will he find him?"
The Israel Police stated in response: "Contrary to the claims, immediately upon receiving the complaint, an investigation was opened, during which a variety of investigative actions were carried out in order to track down the identity of the suspect, including collecting testimonies, gathering digital evidence, and conducting overt and covert actions. Following the exhaustion of investigative actions and since the investigators were unable to track down the identity of the suspect, it was decided to close the investigation file at this stage. As soon as additional information is received, the case will be re-examined."
