During the fifth hearing concerning Igal Buskila, 19, from Jerusalem, who is detained on suspicion of kidnapping 10-year-old Yahli Sofer, additional details regarding the circumstances of the incident were revealed at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court. According to police testimony provided at the hearing, the child was held with the suspect in a shelter and attempted to escape during that time, but Buskila prevented him from doing so. The police representative described how the child cried and asked to leave the shelter.
It was alleged at the hearing that the suspect does not deny the allegations regarding this matter. During the hearing, the police noted that the investigation involves three different potential kidnapping cases attributed to Buskila, and that prosecutors are reviewing the case files and instructing the police on investigation completions. Despite the publication of the suspect's name and photo late last week, the police stated that no new complaints on the subject have been received so far.
Attorney Noam Gutman of the Public Defender's Office asked the court to order Buskila's release to house arrest, presenting arguments regarding his mental health. The suspect's mother arrived at court and offered to serve as his supervisor, but Judge Oren Boaz raised doubts regarding her actual ability to supervise her son, as it emerged that he has not lived at the family home for a long time and visits only rarely. The mother stated that her son used to sleep in various shelters.
Judge Boaz denied the release request, stating that there is no place to order it at this stage, despite the defense's claim that some investigative actions carry no risk of obstruction. However, the court did not grant the full request by the police for a longer detention extension. At the conclusion of the hearing, it was determined that Buskila's detention would be extended by an additional three days, until Wednesday. The judge emphasized that by the next hearing, the investigative unit is expected to present significant progress, such as a prosecutor's statement or the filing of an indictment alongside a request for detention until the end of proceedings. It should be emphasized that these are only legal allegations and initial suspicions in the investigation phase, and no final indictment has been filed in the case.