Father suspected of killing baby daughter remanded for 10 days
Barak Ben Ami to be sent for psychiatric evaluation; police say there was a motive for stabbing spree that also left wife and 3-year-old daughter seriously injured
The Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Sunday extended by ten days the remand of a man suspected of stabbing his baby daughter to death and attempting to kill his wife and other daughter, who were both seriously injured.
The court ordered that Barak Ben Ami, 33, of Hod Hasharon, be sent for an initial psychiatric evaluation. Ben Ami’s name was permitted for publication after a gag order against identifying him was lifted.
Police told the court that Ben Ami refused legal counsel before his investigation and claimed to them that he was mentally disturbed. He has been unable to produce a motive for the Friday morning killing at the family’s home.
The couple had not discussed divorce, and did not have any financial difficulties, police said. Also, there were no indications of previous domestic violence, according to testimony from the couple’s families. Police rejected Ben Ami’s claims of having gone suddenly berserk and said at the hearing that they found a motive for the assault, but did not specify what it was.
Ben Ami’s attorney, from the public defender’s office, told the court that he did not believe the incident was premeditated.
“He is in a very bad emotional state, upset and confused,” Ran Alon said.
Noting that his client has no history of violence or criminal past, Alon said “there is no logical explanation for what happened, which is why his mental state should be thoroughly examined.”
Ben Ami reportedly told investigators that he went “crazy,” and did not know why. After allegedly stabbing his family, he tried to kill himself. He suffered light injuries and was released from the hospital Saturday and transferred to police custody.
On Sunday, Beilinson Hospital said the mother’s condition had improved enough for her to be transferred to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba so that she could be with her daughter, who remains in serious condition, sedated and hooked up to a respirator in the intensive care unit.
The couple’s ten-month-old daughter was critically injured in the stabbing and died of her wounds.
Last October, the Welfare Ministry issued a report on intimate partner violence in 2018 that found a surge in the number of reported cases of domestic abuse.
According to the ministry, the number of women calling its abuse hotline rose 160 percent between 2014 and 2018, and more than 6,000 victims of domestic violence received treatment last year. In 2018, 1,219 women called the hotline to report spousal abuse.
The Times of Israel Community.