"The writing for this murder was on the wall": Israeli mom threatened with custody loss unless dad got visitation, then dad kills kids (Israel)

Additional information on Israeli father ITAI DROR who murdered his 3 young children during visitation.

It's a very typical case. The motive, if you will, wasn't "mental illness" per se, but a desire to hurt/control the mother for divorcing him. Figures that Daddy is the one who gets all pissy even though HE was the one who had an affair with a married woman in an "open relationship" with her husband, and was with them "all the time." But then the girlfriend's hubby blackmails him and things got messy. Before you know it, Daddy's making melodramatic suicide threats/attempts (6 IN TOTAL) and even his (now ex) girlfriend accuses him of "unconsensual sex" and files a restraining order against him--which Daddy violates. Daddy is placed in a psychiatric hospital for 5 months.

Honestly? Daddy was the one who destroyed the marriage. The mother was simply putting a legal end to it. Not that it matters to freaking abusive idiots, who figure they have the right to do anything they want to other people anytime with no consequences.

And the shrinks and social workers thought a father with this history was safe around young children? Unbelievable stupidity and incompetence! Note that the shrink said he was "sane" and said he should have unsupervised visitation. The mother did not think this was wise (wisely!). But the social service/welfare people "pressured her" into going along with the plan, and THREATENED TO STRIP OF HER OF CUSTODY IF SHE DIDN'T LET THE KIDS SEE THEIR FATHER. This is where father exaltation has taken us, folks. Any father--no matter what his history--must have his rights. And everybody else's rights are trampled into the dirt.

Note that Daddy made a very perfunctory suicide attempt after the murders (which took place on his ex-wife's birthday), and carefully left two letters behind outlining his psychiatric history. Yup, the guy may be crazy, but he's not insane. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Hat tip to Annie.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/wife-s-family-says-murders-were-revenge-for-her-decision-to-divorce-1.303849

Published 01:27 25.07.10 Latest update 01:27 25.07.10
Wife's family says murders were revenge for her decision to divorce
Lover and her husband blackmailed suspect for NIS 100,000, relatives claim.
By Yaniv Kubovich

"My precious ones, I am going out to celebrate my birthday with friends. Tomorrow morning we will celebrate with the entire family," was how Lilach Ben Dror said goodbye to her children Omer, 10, Roni, 8, and Or, 5. Several hours later their father, Itai Ben Dror, 38, allegedly murdered them in their beds.

Lilach's family is certain that the murders were revenge for her decision to divorce Itai a year ago. Itai, adopted by a family at Kibbutz Yiron in the north, was born to parents from Russia but grew up at the kibbutz. He met Lilach 13 years ago and the two married, living in Kfar Yona, where they started a family.

Forensic officers at the scene of the murder in Netanya, July 25, 2010

In 2000 their son Omer was born, to be followed by Roni and Or. Members of Lilach's family said yesterday it was a loving family like all others.

"He was a great father to his children," Lilach's nephew said.

"He never forgot birthdays, neither of his children nor of Lilach. Personally, I was in daily touch with him until the divorce. We used to ride bikes together, which was his hobby. Every vacation we would travel with the children on trips. Even now, when I remember that time, there was no hint of what was to happen."

Itai bought a truck and started a moving company. Lilach worked as a clerk in a company and the children lived in a home where nothing was lacking. The change came in late 2008.

Itai had an affair with a married family friend who lived in the community. Only after several months did Lilach begin to sense that something had changed. In addition, the family had financial problems.

One evening Itai told her about the affair, and Lilach asked him to leave the house. She insisted that he leave, so he moved to a small apartment in Netanya but remained in a romantic affair with the other woman.

"They lived like on a commune," Lilach's aunt said. "He was with his lover and her husband in the apartment all the time. They lived with the illusion that everything was acceptable, and they tried to create conditions of an open relationship. But in the end it blew up in his face."

Lilach's family says the financial crisis happened in part because Itai's lover and her husband blackmailed him for NIS 100,000; otherwise they would tell Lilach about the affair.

'I want to die'

Several weeks after Lilach threw Itai out, his lover asked him to stop coming over and to cease all contact.

"We were his greenhouse, giving him a loving family and attention that he never had," said Lilach's uncle. "Suddenly he was once more alone and that same sad, adopted boy, without parents, found himself without family once again. It was not easy."

Itai became increasingly distraught and began to behave erratically.

A month after the divorce he went to Lilach's home in Kfar Yona, where she had moved with the children. He showed her cuts on his wrists. "This is where you have led me," he told her. "I want to die. Because of you I will kill myself."

Lilach called the police and informed the welfare services about the incident. The police opened a file on Itai; his lover also called the authorities.

The lover also filed a complaint against Itai for nonconsensual sex, and the court issued a restraining order against him. He violated the order and another case was opened against him.

Itai said that in the five months since the divorce he tried to kill himself six times. At that point he decided to enter a psychiatric hospital for treatment, where he was kept for five months.

Pressure from the welfare authorities

Two months ago he was released, with a doctor's assessment that he was sane and could be allowed to take his children to his home on unaccompanied visits. Initially Lilach refused to allow this, so he turned to the welfare authorities.

Lilach's family says the welfare authorities pressured her to allow him to see the children.

"Welfare is responsible for what happened to these children," said Dalia Siboni, Lilach's sister. "Every time she would go to them they would threaten her that if she did not allow him to take the children they would take them from her. She feared that he would do something to them; we knew he was an animal. She was willing to allow the children to visit him with supervision. The writing for this murder was on the wall."

On a number of occasions the children spent time with their father and said they enjoyed themselves very much and were eager to spend time with him.

On their way to Lilach's home to celebrate her 37th birthday, her family says they received a call from Itai's brother: "Dalia, he murdered the children." The sister collapsed and the family gathered at the home of Lilach's mother, who had died a month ago.

This police say initial evidence shows that Itai planned the murder as an act of revenge. After the murder he cut his wrists once more in an ostensible suicide attempt.

He left behind two letters; in both he mentions that he is taking psychiatric medication, suggesting that he is insane.

The family rejects this. "What do you want to know? This is a murderer who murdered three beautiful, magnificent children," Lilach's sister said. "He planned it all, he is crazy but sane. He should be in prison. He planned this all on her birthday."