LOD, Israel: Israeli prosecutors charged a 16-year-old Jewish seminary student with manslaughter yesterday over a rock-throwing attack that killed a Palestinian woman in her car, a case that may hinge on contested DNA evidence.
The teenager, who as a minor was not named in the indictment, was among five students arrested after the death of Aisha Al Rawbi, 47, of a head wound in October. His lawyers have denied that he had any connection to the incident.
Manslaughter carries a possible 20-year jail sentence in Israel and is often imposed instead of a murder charge where premeditation cannot be proven. The 16-year-old defendant was further accused by prosecutors of an anti-Arab “terrorist motive”, which could empower the court to impose a harsher sentence if he is convicted.
A court officer who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said a core piece of evidence was the defendant’s DNA, found on the rock that killed Al Rawbi.
“This indictment stands on a weak footing and DNA, which we doubt will stand up to court scrutiny,” defence lawyer Amir Bracha told reporters.
