JERUSALEM (JTA) — The woman dubbed the "Taliban Mother" by the Israeli media was convicted of severe child abuse and aggravated assault.
The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday convicted the Beit Shemesh mother of 12, a member of a fervently Orthodox sect whose women wear layers of dark covering over their body and face in a sign of religious modesty, of abusing six of her children.
The woman was indicted in April 2008 of allegedly beating her children with belts, sticks and electric wires, as well as locking them out of the house and also in a shed for hours at a time.
Her husband also was convicted of abuse and of failing to report the abuse to the proper authorities.
The abuse took place over a period of nine years, according to reports. The neglect also led to incestuous relationships among the children, according to the indictment.
