Court Orders Psychiatric Detention After Psychotic Attack on French Nun in Jerusalem

In a decision that highlighted the intersection of criminal justice and mental health, a magistrate court in Jerusalem acquitted Yona Schreiber, a 36‑year‑old Israeli, who pushed and kicked a French nun in the Old City on 26 April. Schreiber was found to have been experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the assault, a conclusion reached by a district psychiatrist who declared him not “substantively fit to stand trial.”

Instead of sentencing, the judge ordered that Schreiber be committed to a psychiatric hospital for up to six years. The prosecution accepted the psychiatric opinion and requested the acquittal along with the hospital admission, a move that drew criticism from some who argue the victim, who suffered bruises after hitting her head on a stone block, was in danger.

The video footage of the attack sparked social media outrage and amplified concerns about a growing trend of anti‑Christian violence in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli police and the French Consulate condemned the act, and the French Biblical and Archaeological School’s director called it an act of sectarian violence.

Israel’s foreign ministry responded by denouncing the assault as shameful, reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding freedom of religion and worship for all faiths. The ministry’s statement emphasized Jerusalem as a place where every community can live, pray, and practice their faith in safety and dignity, countering claims that Israeli policies threaten church properties.