Two chareidi women from Betar Illit, who were arrested and sent to N’vei Tirzah prison, are according to their attorney, compelled to uncover their hair and wear sweatshirts and trousers, despite asking to be permitted to wear a dress or skirt.

The two were arrested about a week ago, suspected of abusing children in their care, infants up to a year old in a private daycare setting in Gush Etzion.

According to the Kikar Shabbos News report, attorney Tali Gottleib, who represents the women, stated “The chareidi caregivers have been compelled to remove their hair covering” which is an integral part of the dress of frum married women.

“I am totally secular” states Gottleib, “but there is nothing that frightens me more than such sever insult and injury to a woman or a person and to one’s faith. Ease of arrest of citizens should concern each and every one of us”.

Gottleib adds, “This case again shows me the disgust of the legal system. The fact that the freedom of a caregiver, a mother of children, has been trampled, and she has never harmed any of the children where she works, but who is really interested?”

Her attorney added “The caregivers told me in tears about her feelings of humiliation that they did not believe such a disgrace would occur in the State of Israel. I was terrified as well. In a well-ordered human-rights-oriented country, one’s faith must not be compromised.”

The incident began some three months ago, with a complaint filed with police by a kindergarten assistant of an assault on two minors during the previous year. Last week, two suspects were questioned and released. Police have since received testimony from others connected to the case, with some confessing and providing detailed versions of what occurred, policemen reported.

Regarding police statements that one suspect confessed, that suspect explained her Hebrew is poor.

The news report adds that there was no response from the Israel Prison Authority at the time of publication.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)