Father suspected of murdering daughter: ‘I don’t know what happened to me’

The Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday extended for an additional eight 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.

A police representative told the court that the 33-year-old Barak Ben-Ami, a resident of Hod Hasharon, had confessed to the crime and told officers that he had had an argument with his wife on the day of the murder, providing law enforcement with a motive.

Ben-Ami’s lawyer disputed the motive argument, saying that the couple had made plans to continue building a future together. The attorney, Ron Alon, said his client had told him “My eyes went black. I went crazy. I don’t know what happened to me.”

But the prosecution revealed during the hearing that the psychiatrist who examined Ben-Ami found him fit to stand trial.

Last Sunday, the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court extended Ben-Ami’s remand by 10 days. Police had told the court that Ben-Ami refused legal counsel before his investigation and claimed to them that he was mentally disturbed.

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.

Alon, from the public defender’s office, noted that his client has no history of violence or a criminal past. “There is no logical explanation for what happened, which is why his mental state should be thoroughly examined,” he asserted.

After allegedly stabbing his family, Ben-Ami allegedly tried to kill himself. He suffered light injuries and was released from the hospital Saturday and transferred to police custody.

Last week, 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 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.