A 24-year-old Israeli woman with special needs, who was arrested about nine months ago in Lima for suspected drug smuggling, was released to house arrest on Sunday.

Hodaya Monsonego, a special needs young woman from a religious family who has the mental capacity of a child, was arrested in August 2019 for an alleged attempt to smuggle 28 kg cocaine from Peru to Israel.

Her family, who lives in the southern settlement of Neve Dekalim, a community established by Gush Gatif evacuees, has been actively trying to gain her release ever since, explaining that Hodaya was exploited by her “friend” who took advantage of her cognitive impairment and planted drugs in her suitcase. According to the family, Hodaya doesn’t have the mental capacity to even acquire drugs, must less smuggle them.

Hodaya accompanied a friend and her family on a trip to Peru as a babysitter for their children, ages eight and nine. Before their return to Israel, her friend bought Hodaya a new suitcase and allegedly placed the drugs inside the lining of the suitcase without Hodaya’s knowledge.

Hodaya was arrested and transferred a Peruvian prison, with family members saying that she had no understanding of why she was there and could not communicate with anyone since she only speaks Hebrew. Chabad of Lima regularly delivered kosher food during her stay in prison.

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“We are so happy,” said Tehilla, Hodaya’s sister, on Kan News on Sunday morning. “We talked to Hodaya and she is excited. She feels and sounds fine. We don’t know all the details but we’re continuing to work on the pardon request.”

Monsonego will serve her house arrest at the home of a member of the Jewish community in Lima, Ynet reported.

“Thank you to the Peruvian authorities for their response to my request regarding Hodaya Monsonego. I hope this is a step towards her full release soon,” Rivlin wrote on Twitter on Sunday morning..

Thank you to the Peruvian authorities for their response to my request regarding Hodaya Monsongo. I hope this is a step towards her full release soon.

— Reuven Rivlin (@PresidentRuvi) May 24, 2020

Rivlin wrote to Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra several months ago requesting clemency for Monsongo due to her cognitive impairment, stressing that she has no prior criminal record and it is reasonable to believe that her alleged involvement in smuggling drugs was not intentional due to her condition.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)