A 21-year-old man from the Palestinian city of Jericho was indicted Thursday for the murder of 24-year-old Polish tourist Daaria Magdalena Rojmiark in Nazareth last month. The indictment against Kutaiba Atian was submitted to the court in Nazareth by Northern District state prosecutor Shila Inbar, and includes charges of murder, attempted indecent assault, obstruction of justice and illegal stay in Israel. According to Inbar, Atian confessed to his crime to an undercover policeman before being arraigned, and that his DNA was also found on the victims clothes. The indictment alleges that Atian sexually assaulted the woman before strangling her and hiding her body in the bushes. The head of the Northern District's Yamar central investigative unit, Supt. Eyal Harari, said Rojmiark was staying with a group of 40 pilgrims at the Golden Crown hotel in Nazareth. On April 16, she left the hotel to walk to Mount Precipice, a short distance from the hotel. While walking, Rojmiark ran into Atian at a construction site, where he allegedly attempted to kiss her. She refused his advances and tried to escape, but he was allegedly afraid she would report him, so he chased her and strangled her with her scarf. Atian was arrested along with his father and uncle. The two were later released after Atian allegedly admitted to the murder. Alaa Atamana, Atian's attorney, said prior to Thursday's hearing that his client had made a false confession. Atamana accused the interrogators of obtaining the confession illegally, using "improper measures."
