The Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday acquitted Sigal Itzkovich of the murder of her six-year-old son, Liam, on the grounds of insanity. Following the decision, she was ordered to be committed to a psychiatric facility for 25 years. In his ruling, the judge noted that there had been "warning signs."
After the decision was handed down, Itzkovich said, "I am sorry for what I did. If my husband hadn't left me after I stabbed a knife into my genitals, this wouldn't have happened. I drank nail polish that day. I was attacked by aliens. I am sorry for my actions."
The judge described the incident as shocking and nearly incomprehensible. He implied that the murder could have been prevented over the years, noting that the defendant's behavior had exhibited warning signs. For example, he said, "She went up to the roof of a building, did not stop her young son from playing with bleach, and performed a sexual act in his presence." He added, "The defendant was ill, and therefore we have decided to acquit her. We expect her to be hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital for the maximum period of 25 years."
The decision followed the findings of a panel of three expert psychiatrists who determined that Itzkovich was not responsible for her actions at the time of the murder. During the most recent hearing, a representative of the State Attorney's Office said they accepted the psychiatric evaluation and requested that she be acquitted due to insanity and committed to a psychiatric facility for 25 years.
Judge Yaron Levy harshly criticized the State Attorney's Office. "You read the psychiatric report and see there was a background," he said, noting that the psychotic episode began three days before the incident. Judge Levy questioned how the prosecution had failed to address an incident that took place six years earlier, when Itzkovich climbed onto a rooftop with her infant son, and asked what had been done since then.
The judge even pressed the prosecutor, asking whether she believed the incident could have been prevented—a question that went unanswered. During the hearing, Judge Levy read aloud the indictment. Itzkovich confessed to the acts, replying "true" to the description of how she stabbed her son Liam and the family dog.
