Relatives say police let 18-year-old return to boyfriend, despite warnings, before her death

The family of a suspected murder victim blames the police, saying law enforcement “could have prevented it.”

The 18-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment in Beersheba overnight. Officers called to the scene arrested the woman’s 25-year-old partner, who was recently freed from a jail sentence for violence toward his partner.

A close family member tells the Maariv news site, “The police could have prevented this murder. They ignored the previous instances of violence. He has an open file at the Beersheba police station just from the last few months and there were other instances of violence in Netanya.”

“Every sensible person should have understood that this guy was dangerous to this young woman.”

The suspect was released from jail around a month ago, Channel 12 reports.

The girl’s family and friends tried to stop the relationship, and the mother locked the girl in her apartment to keep her from the boyfriend on Thursday, a family member says.

“The girl called the police because her mother wouldn’t let her go to him. The officer said she is 18, and let her leave. She went to her death. The mother didn’t want to let her go to her boyfriend because he’s violent, she was afraid. The girl didn’t listen to her.”

The family member says the girl’s mother had filed complaints against the boyfriend, and that the couple were together for six months.