Bnei Brak Murder Suspect Still Not Sent for Psychiatric Evaluation
Israeli police have finished their investigation into the killing of R’ Yishai Por A”H inside Bnei Brak’s Chazon Ish kollel and have submitted a prosecutor’s declaration against the suspect, Guy Echtlinger, paving the way for a murder indictment in the next few days
The stabbing occurred while R’ Por A”H was learning together with his only son, a 13-year-old born after many years of marriage. He was critically injured in the attack, taken to the hospital and later pronounced deceased.
Questions continue to be raised about the suspect’s mental state and the repeated failure to carry out court-ordered psychiatric evaluations. Courts issued three separate directives requiring that Echtlinger be transferred to a hospital for psychiatric observation, none of which have been implemented so far.
A judge ordered last Wednesday that he be moved for evaluation, but the district psychiatrist reportedly declined, stating that a proper assessment could not yet be performed. The next day, another ruling again instructed that he be transferred before Shabbos, but that order was also not carried out. This past Sunday, the court issued yet another directive for psychiatric observation and demanded an explanation from prison authorities for the earlier failures to comply. It later emerged today that this order, too, had not been executed.
The judge reiterated the instruction that Echtlinger be transferred as soon as possible, emphasizing that previous rulings had been ignored and pointing out that higher courts had already decided that a competency evaluation may proceed at this stage. Until the evaluation is completed, he remains in custody under hospital conditions. A formal murder indictment is expected within the next few days.
