Lod Municipality: Neglected Five-Year-Old, Mother, Are From PA

A young girl who was found chained to a shower fixture in an apartment in Lod early Tuesday is part of a family of illegal Arabs living in the city, the Lod Municipality said. “The family is from the Arab sector and they are not listed among families known to welfare authorities,” the city said in a statement. “The mother is a resident of the Palestinian Authority and they are not listed in the Israeli Population Registry.”

The incident came to light when neighbors reported to police that they had been hearing constant wailing of a child from one of the apartments in a building in the city. Police entered the apartment and discovered the five-year-old girl tied up to a fixture, with clear signs of neglect. Doctors who examined her said her health was poor. The child was taken to the hospital, and the parents arrested.

Attorneys for the parents said that they denied the charges of neglect, and claim that they had left the child sleeping in her bed. Returning hours later, they found her chained, apparently of her own doing. “There is no evidence that they are involved in the incident,” the attorneys said in a statement. “They are normal parents who are incapable of the actions they are suspected of.”