Police violate regulations, minor’s condition exacerbated

Monday, January 16, 2017, 11:22 Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado filed a complaint on behalf of a 15-year-old detainee whose rights were violated by the Yehuda and Shomron Police and by the Ariel Police, resulting in an exacerbation of his medical condition.
Detectives from the Unit of Nationalist Crime in the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police arrived at the minor’s home in the Shomron. The father explained to the police that his son had an eye injury and was under close medical supervision after undergoing several operations.
The father stated that the detectives answered with a “rude, inappropriate response,” and took the minor to the Ariel Police Station where he was interrogated on suspicion of involvement with rock-throwing several weeks previously. According to Paragraph 4 of the Police Directive 02.03.12 regarding medical care of detainees, the father’s description of his son’s condition defines him as a “sick detainee”.
In violation of the orders in Paragraph 4 the minor was not brought before a doctor when he arrived at the police station, and neither was he taken to a doctor nor evacuated to a hospital. Contrary to regulations, he was interrogated without seeing a doctor. After the interrogation, during which he denied all charges, the court conditionally released him.
The complaint states that on the day after the interrogation the pressure under the minor’s eye greatly increased and since then he has required intensified medical treatment, including a change from two to four types of medications.
Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado: “The policemen should have considered the operational need in light of the medical risk. Police regulations [in this instance] determine not to take any chances. Unfortunately the policemen acted differently in practice.”