Jerusalem court acquits man in French nun assault due to mental illness

A Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court has acquitted Yona Schreiber of criminal liability for an April assault on a French Catholic nun in the Old City. The judge ruled that Schreiber, a 36-year-old settler from the West Bank, was in a psychotic state at the time of the attack and was therefore not legally accountable due to severe mental illness.

Despite the acquittal, the court ordered Schreiber to be committed to a psychiatric facility for up to six years. The assault, which occurred near the Cenacle on Mount Zion, involved Schreiber pushing the nun to the ground and kicking her in the head, causing facial bruising and other injuries. The incident was captured on security footage and drew widespread international condemnation, including from the French Consulate and Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

The ruling has sparked debate among religious leaders and advocates. While the director of the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, where the victim works as a researcher, expressed hope for the victim's recovery and public safety, others, such as Friar Olivier Poquillon, expressed regret that a criminal penalty was not imposed. The incident is viewed by some as part of a broader increase in hostility and sectarian violence against Christian communities in the region.