Israel Matzav

Former President Katzav convicted of rape

Israel's 8th President, Moshe Katzav, has been convicted of two counts of rape by a three-judge panel of the Tel Aviv district court. Katzav was also convicted of sexual assault and sexual harassment in two other incidents. The court also said that he lied in his testimony.

Former president Moshe Katsav was charged with raping former Tourism Minsitry worker "Aleph," in the Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday morning.

"The event in the accused's office happened," the judges said. "Aleph said no - she expressed dissent. This is not sexual harassment, this is rape."

The judges said that just because Aleph complained years after the event, does not mean that she is lying.

"Aleph is honest and speaking the truth, while Katsav's testimony is full of lies," the judges determined.

Judge George Kara quoted Aleph as saying: "I knocked on the door, and he was wearing just a shirt, and came close to me. I told him 'enough, stop,' but he continued for ten minutes."

Katsav was also charged with sexually assault of Heh, who worked at Beit Hanassi and sexual harassment of Lamed Yod, then an 18-year-old National Service volunteer at Beit Hanassi.

Lamed Yod complained that Katsav made sexual comments and kissed her on her neck without permission, but later changed her testimony. However, her father testified that Lamed Yod came home from her service upset because of the way the former president treated her, and a driver at Beit Hanassi also saw her leave the president's office upset.

The court said Aleph's testimony is backed up by evidence.

Katsav's sons, in the courtroom, shouted "it's not true, it's not true!"

The court said that Katsav and Aleph did not have an affair or any romantic connection, and that the former president did not have an alibi or witnesses to support his claims.

The judges said that the women accusing Katsav said that the former president forced them to write him love letters, thus fabricating evidence that would show he did not rape them.

In addition, Katsav was charged with obstruction of justice.

...

A key moment in the affair took place in August 2008, when Katsav reneged on a plea bargain signed with the State Attorney’s Office in order to have the chance to prove his innocence in court.

The deal, which would have seen Katsav plead guilty to two charges of sexual harassment – but not the rape charges – sent 20,000 people out into the streets of Tel Aviv in protest.

In March 2009, then attorney-general Menachem Mazuz filed the indictment against Katsav. It graphically described the former president’s alleged crimes and painted him as a sexual predator. His trial began in May last year.

“I am here today by choice; I depart today on a long, difficult, journey to battle for my innocence. Here it is no longer a mock trial, here they won’t determine my case without seeing me, without hearing me, without reading all the investigation materials… I am embarking on a long and difficult battle to clear my name, and I promise once again that I will emerge innocent,” said Katsav at the start of his trial.

Apparently, he is not innocent. 'Israel's first religious President' (it was he who had a synagogue built on the premises of the President's residence) is nothing but a sexual predator - and a desecration of God's name. He is a disgrace.

The picture is of Katzav's January 2009 'news conference' in which he harangued everyone involved in his case for three hours.

Read the whole thing.

Labels: Moshe Katzav, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:06 AM