Jerusalem teen harmed herself in suspected rape case, police say
Initial reports had indicated 19-year-old found Wednesday in woods near Sanhedria neighborhood was sexually assaulted and branded
A 19-year-old Jerusalem woman, who was found unconscious, covered with cuts and bruises and branded with the English letters “B” and “D” on Wednesday, was determined by police Thursday to have inflicted the damage upon herself, and was not raped, contrary to initial reports.
The victim was found Wednesday by yeshiva students near the northern neighborhood of Sanhedria, who said they heard screaming from the forest. She was taken by paramedics to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem for treatment.
Initially, police suspected that the woman was raped and damaged in what could have been a premeditated hate crime, but the investigation revealed that the woman most likely inflicted the damage on herself.
The police indicated they believed the young woman was suffering from severe emotional problems.