Palestinian indicted for murder of Polish tourist

Qutiba Atyan, a 21-year-old resident of the Palestinian West Bank city of Jericho, was indicted Thursday for murder in the strangling of 24-year-old Polish pilgrim Daaria Magdalena Rojmiark in Nazareth last month.

Rojmiark was visiting Israel along with a group of 40 other pilgrims in April, and on the day she was killed, was not feeling well and decided to stay in the hotel while her tour group went on a trip.

She later went out for a walk, and ventured into a construction site where Atyan was working. The suspect then allegedly attempted to kiss her, and when she ran away, throttled her with her scarf.

He proceeded to drag her body into a nearby grove, and covered her lower body with a box he had found, Haaretz reported.

Atyan said he was afraid that Rojmiark would report to police that he was working illegally in Israel. According to the indictment, Atyan had entered Israel illegally several times since December 2014, working and residing at the construction site in Nazareth where he met Rojmiark.

Three days later, he told his father he had spotted a body in the area. The father and the suspect’s brother, who were also illegally working in Israel, went to inspect the scene. They decided to flee into the West Bank, fearing trouble with the police. Once outside Israel, the relatives notified police of the body.

Atyan was arrested along with his family members shortly after. His relatives were released after he confessed to Rojmiark’s murder.

“The confession was given after investigators used improper means to pressure him, and after he was promised his father would not be charged with murder if he confesses,” the suspect’s state-appointed attorney told Haaretz.

Shila Inbar, the Northern District’s state prosecutor, rejected the attorney’s allegations, claiming the men had fully cooperated during the investigation.

“Specifically in this case there was good cooperation with all the detainees, who had sought to help solve this appalling murder,” she said.