Jerusalem teen gets 8 years for killing Arab man
Stabber convicted of killing young Arab man in racist brawl; Judge takes defendant's troubled past into consideration
The 17-year-old's sentence was reached as part of a plea bargain. In the verdict, Judge Zvi Segal said that the defendant's past was taken into consideration and the fact that he had not been aware of the fact that this was a racist crime.
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The defendant, who stabbed 24-year-old Hussam Rawidi, was indicted for manslaughter, while his three friends were charged with aggravated assault, obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting the crime.
The incident occurred in central Jerusalem around 2 am, after the Jewish teens had vodka earlier that evening. They encountered Rawidi and his friend, and began shouting racial slurs at them, such as: "Death to Arabs" and "You're all sons-of-bitches."
One of suspects in court (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
After a short while, a clash broke out when one Jewish teenager began to hit Rawidi and was joined by his friends. The violent incident continued for a few minutes, during which the defendant beat every part of the victim's body.
At one point the defendant drew a razor, stabbing Rawidi in the face, head and neck.
The indictment describes how despite the fact that Rawidi laid helplessly on the ground, bleeding to death, the suspects continued to beat him brutality while shouting racial slurs. Rawidi eventually managed to call the police before he collapsed and lost consciousness.
After many attempts to resuscitate him, doctors pronounced Rawidi dead from the stab wounds and loss of blood.
Several days after the incident, the defendant turned himself into the police. The Jewish teen told the police that he had purchased the blade for his own use, and had hid it in town after the incident.
As part of the plea bargain, the prosecution asked to sentence the Jewish teen to 10 years in prison. However, the defense claimed that the teen had had a difficult upbringing. The defense attorney added that the defendant was not aware that the brawl was a racist one and therefore had no ulterior motive.
The two other suspects involved in the crime have yet to be convicted.
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