Following a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, Yishai Schlissel – who killed a teenage girl and seriously wounded five others in a stabbing rampage at Jerusalem’s annual Gay Pride Parade last month – was deemed fit to stand trial on Thursday.
The decision was made after Schlissel was examined by a court-appointed psychiatrist during a 48-hour hold at a psychiatric hospital. A previous psychiatric evaluation was inconclusive.
Schlissel, 50, who is ultra-Orthodox and from Modi’in Illit in the West Bank, was released from prison three weeks before the July 30 attack after serving 10 years of a 12-year sentence for committing a similar crime at the 2005 Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade.
Since his arrest, he has refused representation and rejected the state’s authority.
His youngest victim, Shira Banki, 16, died of her wounds, while the five other victims sustained serious-to-moderate wounds and are expected to recover.
Head of the Jerusalem District Police Asst.-Ch. Moshe Edri said after the attack that his agency did not have concrete intelligence that Schlissel was at the parade, while the Judea and Samaria District Police said they were not required to track Schlissel after his parole, even though he lives within the district.
Police have since launched an investigation to determine how Schlissel – who published and distributed letters announcing his violent intentions days before carrying out the attack – was not tracked by police and allowed to attend the parade.
In the missive he wrote that “it is the obligation of every Jew to keep his soul from punishment and stop this giant desecration of God’s name next Thursday,” and that “that there is an obligation to stop the parade of sin at all costs.”
Although the investigatory committee’s initial findings were presented to Security Minister Gilad Erdan on Sunday night, Erdan ordered acting Israel Police head Asst.-Ch. Bentzi Sau to continue the probe.
The ministry said the final analysis is expected to be presented in the coming days.
