Judges cause uproar over claim girl 'enjoyed' sex with father
By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent
Haaretz
June 25, 2006
Chairperson of the women's rights group Na'amat, Taliah Livni, called on the judges to resign. (Archives)
Rights groups called Saturday for the dismissal of three Nazareth District judges who wrote a court decision that claimed a woman who was raped by her father since childhood consented to having sex.
The father was found guilty of raping his daughter for a period of over 12 years, since the age of six, and sentenced to 16 years in jail.
Judges Aharon Aminoff, Nehama Munitz and Gabriella Levy de Leo wrote in their verdict, however, that the girl's failure to inform authorities of the repeated incidents may have indicated that she enjoyed the acts.
"For years, since girlhood, she enjoyed the defendants acts and she willed them," the judges wrote in their decision. "Therefore, she did not evade him and didn't bother telling about his actions until after she was engaged, when fear of being discovered prompted her to act."
The state prosecution denounced the judges' decision and submitted an appeal to increase the father's sentence from 16 to 20 years in jail.
State prosecutors said they felt ashamed delivering the judges' decision to the complainant, adding that they were worried that its publication will prevent rape victims from pressing charges against their assailants in the future.
In response to the decision, Taliah Livni, the chairperson of the women's rights group Na'amat, urged the judges resign their posts.
"We cannot allow them to remain in office after such scandalous remarks," Livni said.
Haaretz
June 25, 2006
Chairperson of the women's rights group Na'amat, Taliah Livni, called on the judges to resign. (Archives)Rights groups called Saturday for the dismissal of three Nazareth District judges who wrote a court decision that claimed a woman who was raped by her father since childhood consented to having sex.
The father was found guilty of raping his daughter for a period of over 12 years, since the age of six, and sentenced to 16 years in jail.
Judges Aharon Aminoff, Nehama Munitz and Gabriella Levy de Leo wrote in their verdict, however, that the girl's failure to inform authorities of the repeated incidents may have indicated that she enjoyed the acts.
"For years, since girlhood, she enjoyed the defendants acts and she willed them," the judges wrote in their decision. "Therefore, she did not evade him and didn't bother telling about his actions until after she was engaged, when fear of being discovered prompted her to act."
The state prosecution denounced the judges' decision and submitted an appeal to increase the father's sentence from 16 to 20 years in jail.
State prosecutors said they felt ashamed delivering the judges' decision to the complainant, adding that they were worried that its publication will prevent rape victims from pressing charges against their assailants in the future.
In response to the decision, Taliah Livni, the chairperson of the women's rights group Na'amat, urged the judges resign their posts.
"We cannot allow them to remain in office after such scandalous remarks," Livni said.
posted by Jewish Survivors at Sunday, June 25, 2006
2 Comments:
Think those judges were projecting their own fantasies much?
It`s obvious that Judges Aharon Aminoff, Nehama Munitz and Gabriella Levy de Leo are lacking the education needed in understanding the basics of childhood sexual abuse. I personally believe that it is up to every citizen in Israel to demand that Judges who hear cases involving sexual offenses undergo specialized training like they do in the US. It`s really the only way things will ever change.
It`s time for us all to stop blaming victims.
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