Husband admits to killing wife in Acre murder case, police say

The husband of a woman found murdered in Acre last month has confessed to the killing, police said on Wednesday.

Iman Ahmed Awad, 29, was found with her throat slit in her apartment on December 11, 2018. She was pregnant at the time of her death and had a child from a previous marriage.

Muhammad Labidi, 37, will be indicted for killing his wife next week, according to a report from Channel 10 News. He was ordered held in custody until next week.

Police had found evidence at the scene of the crime, including a bag containing a knife and bloody clothing, which pointed to Labidi as the perpetrator, according to  reports in Hebrew media.

After the murder, he reportedly told police that he came home with a friend to find his wife’s body and the apartment in disarray, but his alibi did not hold up under investigation.

Awad had not lodged any complaints with the authorities about her husband, whom she had married a few months prior.

האישה ה-25 נרצחה בעכו -אימאן אחמד עווד (28); המשטרה עצרה את בעלה כחשוד ברצח המזעזע.@MaarivOnline pic.twitter.com/raxKqpcXVb

— Yasser Okbi (@OkbiYasser) December 11, 2018

The killing brought the number of women murdered in such cases last year to 25, the highest toll in years, amid national protests for more action to combat the phenomenon.

Responding to the killing, the Israel Women’s Network rights group demanded immediate action and criticized the government for failing to implement steps or allocate funds to fight women’s murders.

On Sunday, the government announced it had earmarked NIS 50 million (approximately $13.5 million) to fight domestic violence in 2019, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the plan will focus on the abusers.

The prime minister said the plan will also focus on the Arab community, after a spate of murders of Arab Israeli women.

The government’s program includes provisions for the expansion of outpatient treatment centers for violent men and the establishment of two emergency centers, as well as multidisciplinary protection for victims of domestic violence. The budget will also be used to develop tools and training for professionals and the founding of a research center.

In December 2018 thousands of women went on strike and tens of thousands rallied across the country to protest women killed by a partner, family member, or someone known to them, and what they say is the authorities’ failure to stem a sharp increase in violence against women.