Disabled man dies after allegedly being beaten by caregiver
Police arrest 19-year-old employee suspected of murder after Efraim Ben Baruch succumbs to severe injuries suffered two weeks ago
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A disabled man died early Friday at a hospital in Haifa, two weeks after his caregiver allegedly beat him and caused him severe head wounds, Hebrew-language media reported.
Efraim Ben Baruch, 29, was a resident in a care center for mentally disabled people. Shortly after arriving at the Bnai Zion hospital his condition deteriorated, with doctors declaring him brain-dead.
The caregiver, Mohammad Khateeb, 19, from the city of Tamra, was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of abusing a helpless individual. His remand was extended by six days.
After Ben Baruch’s death, police said they were upgrading the suspicion against Khateeb to murder. A special investigation team was set up to assist in the probe of the incident. Police also said they would ask the court on Sunday to further extend his remand.
In court last week, an investigator showed judge Rivka Fuchs videos of the alleged abuse, saying there were “11-12 different episodes on the same day. His interaction with the victim is violent.”
Khateeb’s attorney had denied that the death was caused by her client, saying that Ben Baruch was taken to a hospital in the evening while he had suffered the wounds in the morning.
“There was independent harm,” she said, without elaborating.
The Times of Israel Community.