According to KAN, police no longer blame suspects for Kasau’s disappearance, but the investigation into the incident in Beersheba will still be handled by Lahav 433.
A 63-year-old Beersheba resident suspected of sexually assaulting a minor is no longer considered a suspect in the disappearance of 9-year-old Haymanut Kasau in Beersheba, Israeli police said on Sunday, while asking that his detention be extended for another three days.
During a hearing at the Rishon Lezion District Court, Judge Menachem Mizrahi extended the suspect’s detention for three days at the request of the police, citing evidence that the suspect had committed indecent acts and assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Beersheba and concerns that the investigation could be hindered.
Meanwhile, nearly two years after Kassau’s disappearance, the evidentiary link between the two cases has weakened significantly, and the court has accepted the position that the suspect in Kassau’s disappearance should be cleared of suspicion.
According to KAN, police no longer blame suspects for Kassau’s disappearance, but the investigation into the incident in Beersheba will still be handled by the Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit.
A 12-year-old girl in Beersheba told investigators that a man came to her home pretending to visit her father, a friend of his, and the suspect was subsequently arrested. According to her account, detailed by Haaretz, the man entered the apartment, asked for water and towels, then went to the bathroom, and when she returned, he allegedly hugged her and grabbed her arm as she tried to leave.
“I was really scared,” the girl told Haaretz. She said she managed to escape the apartment, screaming and seeking help from neighbors, who called police.
The suspect denied the accusations, telling the court: “I was just visiting a friend, her father. I didn’t do anything.”
Mizrahi ruled that while suspicions about Kassau’s disappearance had not been proven, the Beersheba case justified continued detention. He also cited dangerousness and concerns that the suspect could interfere with the investigation.
Haymanut Kasau was last seen in Safed
Haymanut Kasau is a 9-year-old girl from Safed who was last seen on February 25, 2024, where she lived with her family near the reception centre. Surveillance video shows her smiling and running back into the building, election flyers in hand. Haven’t seen her since.
The search was initially halted about three weeks after her disappearance, but was later resumed. Cashau’s family has long believed all signs pointed to a kidnapping and fought to classify her as a kidnapping victim rather than a missing person – a distinction they argue has significant implications for the scope and tools of the investigation.
According to Haaretz, police assessments in recent weeks have found no direct evidence linking the Beersheba suspect to Kasau’s disappearance, although the judiciary earlier ruled there was reasonable suspicion linking him to both cases.
The family also tried to involve the Shin Bet (Israeli security agency) in the investigation, but after criticism from the Knesset, police only recently admitted that the security agency was not involved in the case, contrary to earlier statements by senior officials, Channel 13 reported.
About two weeks ago, police chief Daniel Levi ordered the Kasau case to be handed over to the Lahav 433 national crime unit after Channel 13 reported that the investigation into the case had collapsed.
The Rishon Lezion District Court subsequently issued a broad gag order on details of the investigation, including the identities of the suspects and evidence gathered, citing concerns about obstruction of justice. According to KAN, both the police and the suspect’s defense attorney support extending the publication ban.
The investigation is ongoing.