53-year-old woman found dead at home in suspected murder in south

A 53-year-old woman was found dead in her home in the southern town of Yeruham on Monday, in an apparent murder.

The woman’s husband, who called in the incident, was arrested, police said.

Emergency forces rushed to the home following a call to police by the husband of the victim, who said he strangled her, according to Hebrew media reports.

Medics pronounced her death at the scene.

“When we arrived at the scene, the police led us to the apartment. We saw an unconscious 53-year-old woman. We performed medical tests. She was not breathing and had no pulse. We began resuscitation attempts, yet were compelled to declare her death,” said a Magen David Adom paramedic.

The victim was later named as Latricia Lanee Pointer.

Yeruham Mayor Tal Ohana told the Kan public broadcaster the woman came from the African Hebrew Israelites community in Dimona, and was not known to welfare services.

At least 20 women were murdered in Israel by their spouses or significant others during 2020.

Thirteen Israeli women were murdered in 2019 by someone known to them. In 2018, 25 women were murdered in such incidents, the highest number in years. Many of those women filed police complaints prior to their deaths out of concern for their safety.

A national plan to fight domestic violence was approved in 2017 by the Knesset but has since been abandoned, due to lack of funding. Activists say most of the approved NIS 250 million ($71 million) has not yet been transferred to relevant authorities.

Police and social services organizations have also reported a major rise in domestic violence complaints since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.