Pysch nurse who buried patient alive in fatal ‘rebirth ceremony’ sentenced to 7 years

Edward Kachura, a psychiatric nurse, is sentenced to seven years in prison by the Haifa District Court after he was convicted in September of the negligent homicide of 17-year old Lital Yael Melnik in 2021.

The court cleared Kachura, 53, at the time of the murder charges against him, but convicted him of the lesser charge since he left Melnik alone after having helped her perform a “rebirth ceremony” where she was entirely buried in sand, along with a pipe meant to enable her to breathe.

The court also rejected the prosecution’s charge that the only possibility that caused Melnik’s death was a violent act that prevented her from taking her head out of the sand in which she was buried.

The court “emphasizes the severity” of Kachura’s actions, saying that instead of acting as the “responsible adult” who should have stopped the “rebirth ceremony,” he took part in it and also left Melnik when she was at least partially covered in sand without ensuring that she finished the ceremony unharmed.

In its sentencing, the court also emphasizes the additional crimes Kachura was convicted of, including having abused his position as a psychiatric nurse to establish an illicit sexual relationship with Melnik and the fact that he had “systematically violated” lower court orders prohibiting from from having contact with Melnik.