Israel Matzav

Two cops get off with a slap on the wrist

Two police officers who were convicted of brutally beating demonstrator Akiva Vitkin at an anti-disengagement rally in May 2005 were 'sentenced' to six and three months of community service today. The officer who received the harsher sentence has also been dismissed from the police force. (Make sure to watch the video at the link above if you can stand it).

Officers Eran Naim and Eliran Avraham were sentenced to six and three months community service, respectively.

Israel Police's Internal Affairs Unit claimed in the indictment that during the rally 21-year-old protestor Akiva Vitkin was thrown to the ground and had a finger stuck up his nose by officer Naim, causing it to bleed.

Vitkin was then taken to a police station, where officer Avraham beat him and slammed his head against a wall.

Judge Hanan Efrati said in his ruling, "A police officer, as an enforcer of the law, must protect the citizens and not threaten them. The accused violated the trust that must exist between the public and the police."

Naim, who was dismissed from the force following the incident, said after the hearing "The lesson that I have drawn from this is that an officer cannot do his job if he is punished by the law."

In other words, Naim has learned nothing. Let's hope he doesn't beat anyone else up.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:06 PM