Jerusalem nun attack suspect acquitted over mental state

A Jerusalem court has acquitted Israeli settler Yona Simcha Schreiber over an assault on a French Catholic nun because of his mental state, public broadcaster Kan reported.

Schreiber, 36, from a settlement in the occupied West Bank, was arrested in April after surveillance footage showed him pushing the nun to the ground just outside Jerusalem's Old City.

Kan reported, citing the court and an attorney, that the court ruled Wednesday that Schreiber was in a psychotic state at the time and was not responsible for his action. It said the court ordered him hospitalised for mental issues on the recommendation of a psychiatrist.

The court did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for information on the decision.

The French consulate in Jerusalem had condemned the attack and demanded a trial. The nun was a researcher at Jerusalem's French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research.

The Israeli foreign ministry called the attack shameful and said Israel respected freedom of religion. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the attack despicable Thursday and said he understood the decision to commit Schreiber for mental issues.