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First Mercy Killing Israel; Trial Arouses Nationwide Interest

May 23, 1952
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The arraignment of a mother on the charge of killing her five-year-old son, the first mercy killing in Israel’s history, is arousing great interest throughout the country.

When the defendant appeared before a magistrate here yesterday, the child’s physician testified that he had informed the mother that the boy, born mute and mentally retarded, had no chance of recovering.

According to the prosecutor, who said that he believes that the physician’s verdict convinced the mother to kill the child, she took him to the seashore and drowned him. The mother told the police that the child’s death was an accident, but, according to the prosecutor, she later confessed to the police that she had murdered the boy.

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