Author: Hank Nuwer

Here is more on the KFIR Brigade incident

Excerpt:

One of the combatants from the victim’s company revealed there is a bond of silence surrounding hazing cases. “Veteran soldiers don’t have many privileges so they set seniority rules,” he said. “In this case, they definitely went too far.”

The victim’s mother said she never dreamed her son would be beaten by his fellow soldiers. “These guys need to be put away for a long time. I would even say they should be expelled from the army and serve their time in a civilian prison, military prison is a picnic for them,” she said. “My son could have died there. This could have ended much worse and they must be held accountable.”

An initial investigation revealed this was not the first time the suspects were involved in a hazing. Some of the suspects claimed that even commanders took beatings from them and that everything “was done in good spirit and with no one complaining.”

The suspects refused to comment on the allegations but claimed they have evidence proving hazing is a common practice in the company and accepted by the commanders. Some said that hazing was done when soldiers wanted to showcase their physical strength. “We would tell those soldiers to show their six-pack or muscles and then punch them. Nothing was coerced, everything was voluntary.”

The mother of one suspect said, “I won’t let my son, who spent two and a half years of his life in the most elite combat unit, to be turned into a scapegoat. Everyone knows these things are in jest and there is no intent to harm. This is definitely not a one-time incident. It happened over and over again.”

Shai Roda, one of the suspects’ attorneys claimed the exact opposite. “This is a single case that went out of proportion. My client’s name was mistakenly linked to the case.”

Add Israelto the long list of nations with brutal hazing incidents reported over the years.  Canada, Russia, Philippines, United States, Germany, former East Germany….On and on. Moderator    Excerpt: Ten combat soldiers suspected of beating and injuring a comrade were charged with aggravated assault and conduct unbecoming on Thursday.

The victim, a rookie soldier, was attacked for daring to touch the “seniority stick” – a bar with special markings which indicate the seniority of combatants who are soon to be discharged.

According to the indictment, one of the defendants threatened the victim days prior to the attack. “I love you, but you’ll pay for this,” the defendant was quoted as telling the victim after the latter made the so-called misstep……The rookie managed to get up and reach his room, but failed to climb up to his top bunk. The following morning, when he got up to report for patrol duty, he fell unconscious. He was taken to the Haemek Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with a ruptured spleen.

Moderator:   As I work on the new book on hazing,  I am struck how the preventable deaths at this all-day festival remind me of the inability of bystanders to step in (hazing or any party situation) when potential “victims” are too far gone to help themselves.  If the alcohol and drug culture is so rampant, why aren’t pundits doing more to question presidential candidates why they aren’t more involved in these seemingly overwhelming issues involving national deaths due to alcohol and drugs?  Not BLAMING the candidates, mind you. Just asking them to come up with solutions. That should be part of their mission, don’t you think? Moderator

Excerpt follows:

MANSFIELD — Officials tonight said the rise in heavy drinking and drug use at the Comcast Center, where two men died last month of apparent overdoses, reflects a broader cultural problem and said the arena’s security staff has worked well with the local police force to try to mitigate the effects of reckless behavior.

“It’s an alcohol-soaked society,” said Mansfield Police Chief Arthur O’Neill during a public meeting of the Board of Selectmen at Town Hall.

O’Neill said police and security staff at the center are working closely together to limit the repercussions of substance abuse at center events.

“We have a well oiled machine down there between our police officers” and the security staff, he said.

O’Neill also expressed skepticism that drug-sniffing dogs could be effective at the center, since they are only able to work for about 20 minutes at a time.

“It would take dozens of dogs,” O’Neill said, adding that drug dogs can sometimes attack people.

Tonight’s discussion came after Connor Brandon, a 19-year-old from Acton, and Dominic Impelizzieri, 27, of Syracuse, N.Y., both died of drugs and ­alcohol in their systems at an all-day festival at the center on July 26.

Authorities said drug and alcohol use was rampant at the show, and 19 other people were hospitalized for drug-related problems. Some patrons took powerful combinations of ecstasy, PCP, and marijuana, officials said.

Less than a week later, ­police arrested 35 people at a hip-hop show and took scores more into protective custody for drunkenness at the center, which has a capacity of about 20,000.

Here is the story link to Boston.com

excerpt from the Boston Globe: see link above

Prosecutors said Wednesday they are dropping most of the charges against the Boston University students who allegedly left five stripped-down fraternity pledges covered with condiments in a hazing incident in April.

Two of the nine defendants, Jesse Kay, 20, and Spencer Davidson, 21, still face the most serious charge of assault and battery for what prosecutors have described as inhumane treatment of the pledges, found by police shivering in the basement of an Allston home that was being used as the Alpha Epsilon Pi house. Both men, who appeared to be the ringleaders in the hazing ritual, also face single counts of hazing and failure to report hazing.

Kay and Davidson are accused of ordering the victims to duct-tape themselves to one another and to disrobe, according to prosecutors. They then allegedly poured hot chili sauce on them, causing welts to appear on their skin. They also allegedly ordered the victims to drink fish oil, said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney’s office.

Kay was in Brighton District Court on Wednesday, along with five other defendants. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to return to court on Aug. 20 for a pretrial hearing.

Davidson was arraigned June 20 and also ordered back on the same date. The two face up to 2½ years in jail, if convicted.

Boston police originally issued five charges on each of the counts the defendants faced, to reflect the number of victims, but have since reduced the counts. For example, Kay and Davidson had faced 15 counts each but now face only three single charges….

Defendant Kyle Shevrin, 21, failed to appear for his arraignment, but had sent a letter to the court asking for a postponement because he is in California. Judge Patricia Bernstein found him in default but stayed the arrest warrant until Aug. 20.

Shevrin, according to a police report, had attempted to flee during the incident but was stopped by police.

Katz and Alexander Nisenzon, 21, were found in a second-floor bedroom where they and three other defendants, were “lying in a bed together, faking that they were sleeping,’’ according to the report.

Nisenzon faces a charge of failure to report hazing and his arraignment was deferred until Aug. 27.

Jonathon Toobi, 22, is out of the country and his arraignment was deferred to Dec. 12. He faces one count of failure to report hazing. The arraignment for Lawrence Rosenblum, 19, was also deferred, to Sept. 20. He faces charges of failure to report hazing and keeping a noisy and disorderly house.