Haymanut Kasau, also transliterated as Heimnot Kasao, is an Ethiopian-Israeli girl who, at the age of nine, disappeared from the Safed reception center on February 25, 2024, at around 7:30 pm, after she went out with her friends to distribute flyers for one of the candidates in the local authority elections.[1][2][3]
Personal background
editHeimnot immigrated with her family from Ethiopia to Israel about three years before the incident.[4] She lived with her family at the reception center on 9 IDF St. in Safed.[4]
Disappearance
editHeimnot's father was on a family visit to Ethiopia at the time of disappearance, and about a week after her disappearance, he returned to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency to be cleared as to not be a suspect.[5]
Search
editOn February 27, 2024, a leaflet document was published of Heimnot Kassau with her relatives handing out the leaflets on the streets of Safed. This is her last record. At 22:00 the police were informed of her absence, and the search for her began.[6][better source needed]
Only after about 40 hours after her disappearance, did the police deployed a search helicopter. It was stated that this was because permission of approval from the IDF was delayed, due to the escalating tensions of the Hezbollah conflict in the northern districts.[7] On February 28, the search was extended to the Meron area as well.[8][9][10] A police dog unit was used in the building to confirm her absence.[9] About 1,800 volunteers joined the search during the first week of the search.[5] After two weeks of searching, the Jewish Agency offered a reward of NIS 100,000 leading to her finding.[11][12] In June 2024, the reward was increased to 350,000 shekels.[13]
Other incidents in the area
editAccording to an investigation by Mako, in the years before Heimnot's disappearance, two complaints were filed about sexual abuse of children on the street where Heimnot disappeared, but no clear connection has been linked to her disappearance and the attacks.[14]
Investigation
editA month after Kasau's disappearance, police reported they had investigated all potential lines of inquiry and had no clues about her disappearance.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Mom of missing 9-year-old Haymanut Kasau: 'It seems her disappearance was planned. Help us find her'". Times of Israel (www.timesofisrael.com). February 28, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ Tov, Tzipora Siman (February 29, 2024). "האמא זועקת בשידור חי: "בבקשה תעזרו לנו לחפש את היימנוט"" [The mother shouts live: "Please help us look for Haymanut"]. עכשיו 14 (Now 14 - www.now14.co.il) (in Hebrew). Now 14. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ Moscow, Yigal; Shamhief, Elad (March 21, 2024). ""אחד ביום": מחפשים את היימנוט" ["One by one": looking for Haymanut]. Mako (www.mako.co.il) (in Hebrew). Keshet Broadcasting Ltd. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Yahal, Faraj; (פרג', יהל) (February 27, 2024). "צעד אחר צעד עם יחידת החילוץ: עשרות מתנדבים בחיפושים אחרי ילדה אחת" [Step by step with the rescue unit: dozens of volunteers searching for one girl]. Davar Hamidim (דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל) (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Faraj, Yahal; (פרג', יהל) (March 3, 2024). "שבוע לחיפושים אחר הילדה הנעדרת היימנוט קסאו: אביה שב מחו"ל ועודכן על החקירה" [A week to search for the missing girl Heimnut Kassau: her father returned from abroad and updated on the investigation]. Davar Hamidim (דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל) (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "The extensive search for the 9-year-old Haymanot Kasao from the city of Safed" (in Hebrew). YouTube - Channel 7. February 14, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ Faraj, Yahal; (פרג', יהל) (February 26, 2024). "מפקד משטרת צפת על החיפוש אחר היימנוט קסאו: "הטענות שאם זו היתה ילדה אחרת היינו פועלים מהר יותר - חסרות שחר"" [The Safed Police Chief on the search for Heimnot Kassau: "The claims that if it was a different girl we would have acted faster - are baseless]. Davar Hamidim (דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל) (in Hebrew). Davar Hamidim. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ Faraj, Yahal; (פרג', יהל) (February 28, 2024). "החיפושים מתרחבים לאיזור המירון ביום השלישי להיעדרה של הילדה היימנוט קסאו" [The search is expanding to the Miron area on the third day of the disappearance of the girl Heimnot Kasau]. Davar Hamadum (דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל) (in Hebrew). Davar Hamidim. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Faraj, Yahal; (פרג', יהל) (February 29, 2024). "היימנוט קסאו בת ה-9 נעדרת כבר 4 יממות: החיפושים התרחבו להר מירון, "נשללה הימצאותה במרכז הקליטה"" [9 year-old Haymanut Kasau has been missing for 4 days: the search has expanded to Mount Miron, "her presence at the reception center has been ruled out"]. Davar Hamidim (דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל) (in Hebrew). Devar Hamidim. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ Faraj, Yahal; (פרג', יהל) (March 10, 2024). "שבועיים להיעלמותה של היימנוט: "החיפושים לא עומדים בסטנדרטים בינלאומיים"" [Two weeks to Heimnot's disappearance: "The searches do not meet international standards"]. Davar Hamidim (דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל) (in Hebrew). Devar Hamidim. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ Elbaz, Shimon; (אלבז, שמעון) (March 14, 2024). "פרס של 100 אלף שקלים בעבור מידע שיוביל למציאת היימנוט בת ה-9" [A reward of NIS 100,000 for information that will lead to the finding of 9-year-old Heimnot]. Ynet (in Hebrew). YNet. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ Ifergan, Shimon (March 10, 2024). "החיפושים אחרי היימנוט קסאו ייפסקו: "אין לנו שום קצה חוט"" [The search for Heimnot Kassau will stop: "We have no clue, we will move to the intelligence level"]. Mako (in Hebrew). Mako. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Father of missing 9-year-old girl: Government 'not doing enough' to find her". Times of Israel (www.timesofisrael.com). June 18, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ Shalu, Lior (March 14, 2024). "בת ה-9 מצפת עדיין נעדרת, וכעת נחשפת הזוועה בבית הסמוך" [Investigation: Children were sexually assaulted on the street from which the 9-year-old disappeared. twice]. Mako Magazine (in Hebrew). Mako. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ Temari, Liran; (תמרי, לירן) (March 27, 2024). "ההבהרה החריגה של המשטרה, שעדיין ללא קצה חוט: היעלמות היימנוט בת ה-9 הגיעה לכנסת" [The unusual explanation of the police, which still has no clue: the disappearance of the 9-year-old Heimnot reached the Knesset]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 29, 2024.