The father of 10-year-old Haymanot Kasau, an Ethiopian-Israeli girl, urged the Knesset Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs Committee on Tuesday to officially change his daughter’s status from 'missing' to 'kidnapped', Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.
The request came during a Knesset debate on the ongoing investigation into Kasau’s disappearance. She has been missing since February 25, 2024, the last day she was seen leaving her home, according to KAN.
The debate was attended by Kasau's family, as well as private investigators Dr. Meir Carmon and Yehudit Haliva, who have been assisting the family. Other groups advocating for her return were also present.
In addition to requesting that the Knesset change his daughter’s status to 'kidnapped,' Tesfai Kasau Meshesha, Haymanot's father, expressed frustration over the lack of progress in the investigation.
"A 9-year-old girl has disappeared, and after a year and three months, there’s still no sign of her?" he asked. "At every meeting, the police say it’s 'confidential.' What is the secret they’re not sharing? The work is not being done. She entered a reception center and then vanished. Can’t Israel’s technology offer any answers? This situation is keeping us awake at night."
Support for changing the investigation to a kidnapping
MK Tzaga Malko supported the father’s request. "Private investigators believe the 'missing' designation has been used for over a year to advance the investigation, but it has not yet been updated to 'kidnapped,'" she said.
Dr. Carmon and Yehudit Haliva, who have been investigating the case for more than a year, also view it as a kidnapping, according to KAN.
MK Gilad Kariv, Chairman of the Absorption and Aliyah Committee, highlighted that the absorption center in Safed, where Haymanot and her family have lived since immigrating to Israel three years ago, is set to close soon, which would make it harder to gather more important information related to the case.
"The Safed absorption center is scheduled to close this summer, which complicates the investigation’s timeline. The center has received relevant information, and it’s hard to accept that it’s now emptying. We need to use the next two months to intensify police efforts," Kariv emphasized.
Kariv also criticized the lack of media coverage surrounding the case, despite the months since Haymanot’s disappearance. "It’s painful to think that Israeli society’s response would have been different if the circumstances were different. But I stand behind what I’ve said," he remarked.
Malko added, "I’m ashamed. At first, the media ignored the story, and now they’re rallying behind it. If Haymanot had blue eyes, her picture would have been on every front page, and the days would be counted down. If she came from a wealthier family or a stronger community, there would be pictures of her everywhere."