Thursday, October 7, 2021, 11:25 The incident occurred in Ramat Migron approximately four and a half years ago. According to the statement of claim, policemen from the Yehuda and Shomron Police detained a minor on suspicion of entering a closed military zone. As the minor was detained, the police conducted a pat-down search on him, and at the police station, the policemen illegally strip searched him down to his boxer shorts. He was also illegally held in remand overnight. The minor sued the police over the injustices he had experienced and was awarded 7,500 NIS in a compromise agreement.
At a criminal hearing in his case, Jerusalem Juvenile Court Judge Shimon Leibo exonerated the minor from all charges against him, and ruled that the strip search was illegal and constituted an acute violation of human dignity. “It is of particular severity that this is an accepted practice, which seems to be intended for and used only on a certain population,” stated Judge Leibo, who noted that one of the policemen testified that the practice of strip searching was used on “activists”, meaning hilltop youth. “As this is a police practice directed towards a narrow and defined segment of the population, it gives the impression of a punitive action before a trial,” added Judge Leibo.”
Honenu welcomed the decision: “Finally the youth has received justice, even though he is a hilltop youth. Policemen in general and the Yehuda and Shomron Police in particular must learn that they will pay for selective law enforcement with regard to hilltop youth. We hope that the lesson is internalized.”