High court blocks autopsies in Jerusalem daycare deaths, forcing investigation to proceed without forensic answers

With autopsies now barred, authorities will rely on medical records, scene evidence, and witness testimony.

By Shmuli Volkin, Jewish Breaking News

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled that autopsies will not be conducted on the two infants who died in the Jerusalem daycare disaster, determining that post-mortem examinations would violate the dignity of the deceased.

The decision came despite police warnings that autopsies were critical to establishing the exact cause of death.

The ruling follows intense pressure from ultra-Orthodox communities, where religious law strongly opposes autopsies.

Large demonstrations erupted in Jerusalem and other cities after initial approval was granted, with protests at times turning violent and requiring police intervention.

Investigators say the daycare—an unlicensed facility operating out of a residential apartment—saw multiple infants collapse within a short time.

Two babies later died, and dozens of others were hospitalized and treated. Police have arrested the daycare owner and a caregiver on suspicion of negligence causing death.

With autopsies now barred, authorities will rely on medical records, scene evidence, and witness testimony.

Officials caution that the High Court’s decision may leave key questions unanswered, even as public outrage grows over oversight failures that allowed the daycare to operate for years without approval.