Man who attacked nun on CCTV in Jerusalem acquitted on grounds of mental health

An Israeli tribunal acquitted a Jewish man who assaulted a nun in Jerusalem, an incident captured on CCTV that drew wide condemnation. Jerusalem Magistrates Court said Yona Schreiber was experiencing a psychotic occurrence when he shoved and kicked the French nun in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem in April. The court ruled that he was not criminally liable for his actions and ordered him to be sent to a psychiatric institution for up to six years. Video of the attack provoked outrage and intensified concerns after a rise in harassment of Christian clergy and pilgrims by Jewish extremists in the Old City. The victim, who struck her head on a stone block, suffered bruises to her face and leg. Schreiber, 36, had been charged with assault motivated by hostility toward a religious group. According to the district psychiatrist's report, Schreiber "was in a psychotic state at the time of the act and is not substantially fit to stand trial." The prosecution accepted the psychiatrist's opinion and requested that Schreiber be acquitted and committed to a hospital. Judge Ofir Tishler said that although Schreiber had attacked the nun, he was directing his acquittal owing to the defendant's mental health. At the time of the attack, the French Consulate in Jerusalem stated that it strongly condemned Schreiber's "aggression." The director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School, where the nun works as a researcher, described the assault as an "act of sectarian violence."