An Israel Police officer told a young, suicidal woman calling for help on Monday evening to "go ahead and kill yourself," N12 shared in an exclusive report on Tuesday evening.
"Has God not taken you yet? go ahead and quietly kill yourself," the police officer told the woman, a Beersheba resident in her 20s, in the conversation recorded by her. Another police officer can be heard laughing in the background as the officer verbally abused the woman.
The woman initially called Israel Police asking to be forcibly hospitalized in a mental health center. While talking to the call operator, the officer interrupted and began to insult the woman.
"You're an idiot that wants to kill yourself, kill yourself then," the officer said. "Kill yourself and don't tell us anything about it."
After the woman began crying, the officer told her to stay where she is as they are "coming to get you, idiot."
Before being interrupted and insulted, the woman told the call operator that her psychiatrist released her from hospital, despite having been informed that she still has suicidal thoughts.
N12's report raises the question of whether law enforcement in Israel takes mental health seriously enough.
Throughout 2021, disabled IDF veterans protested the Defense Ministry's handling of veterans who have developed PTSD from their time serving in the IDF. The protests were triggered by the self-immolation of Itzik Saidian outside the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Division office in Petah Tikva.
In December, another disabled IDF officer attempted to take his own life outside the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Division office in Tel Aviv.
According to a new study conducted by Maccabi Health and the KI Institute, there has been a significant rise in mental illness diagnoses and the use of psychiatric medicine among Israeli teenagers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, 44% of social workers reported a rise in suicidal behavior among teens in a poll conducted by Social Workers' Union. A casualty report released by the IDF on Tuesday found that suicide is the leading cause of death in the Israeli military.
Israel Police responded to N12's report, stating it has begun the process of terminating the police officer's employment.
"We view the police officer's actions as an extremely serious offense," police said. "His conduct is inconsistent with Israel Police's values and behavioral norms expected of any police officer."