Yemenite Child’s Grave Opened by Court Order and Family Request

In a significant development related to the Yemenite Children Affair, a grave in Netanya’s Old Cemetery was opened on Tuesday. The grave is believed to contain the remains of Sa’ada Karni, a”h, a five-year-old Yemenite girl who reportedly went missing in 1949 due to illness. The opening of the grave was carried out in accordance with the 2018 law governing the exhumation of graves of children from East Yemen and the Balkans.

The request to open the grave came directly from the family, and it was approved by the court. Dr. Chaim Cohen and Dr. Michal Pir from the Institute of Forensic Medicine oversaw the exhumation process, with attorney Meir Broder serving as the project manager on behalf of the Health Ministry for the opening of graves of missing children.

According to family lawyers Nurit Koren, Doron Radai and Rami Tsuberi, who have been involved in the case since 1997, the remains of 22 bodies were discovered when 10 other graves were previously opened. However, DNA tests did not establish any connection between the remains and the families represented by the lawyers. This further emphasizes the complexity of the Yemenite Children Affair.

In collaboration with a burial society and utilizing compiled records, maps and sonar tests conducted by the ministry, the approximate location of Sa’ada Karni’s grave was identified. The remains found during the exhumation were subsequently transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir for further analysis, including identification and DNA extraction.

The Health Ministry remains committed to assisting the families affected by the Yemenite Children Affair in their quest for truth and justice.