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Mother Gets One Year Sentence in Israel’s First Mercy Killing

June 5, 1952
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date

Gerda Weinstein, 29-year-old mother, who killed her five-year-old deaf and incurably crippled son, has been sentenced to one year in prison. The case, Israel’s first mercy killing, aroused interest throughout the country.

The judge in district court here, imposing the sentence, said that the light sentence was occasioned by the fact that there is no institution in Israel for the care of such handicapped children. The prosecution had contended that after a doctor had told the mother that there was no hope for the child she took it to the seashore and drowned it.

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