A four-year-old boy found mortally wounded in his grandparent's Jerusalem apartment on August 13 was determined by an investigation to have been strangled to death by his uncle, Israel Police spokespersons said on Wednesday morning.

Medical findings and investigation reportedly confirmed the authorities' initial suspicions that the deceased's uncle was responsible for the death. Police said that the prosecutor's office was expected to file an indictment against the suspect, who is in his 20s. 

The toddler's murder

From a preliminary investigation, it was suspected that during the morning several family members were in the apartment, and at a certain point, they noticed that the victim was not answering their calls.

The father of the family had been called from the synagogue, and after a while when they noticed that the door of the suspect's room was locked, they broke open the door and found the victim lying on the floor, according to police reports. He was pronounced dead at the hospital the next day. 

Riots over an autopsy

Medical investigation was stymied by religious opposition to an autopsy of the young boy's body. Hundreds of Orthodox Jews protested across the country on August 14, at the behest of some haredi rabbis over the court decision to perform the procedure. Riots broke out in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh Modi'in and Bnei Brak that saw clashes with police, blocked roads, stones thrown and garbage cans set afire. 
A man is his 30s was arrested on suspicion of trying to murder his nephew in Jerusalem (credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
A man is his 30s was arrested on suspicion of trying to murder his nephew in Jerusalem (credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
The family appealed the ruling, and ultimately the High Court of Justice ruled against an autopsy.