lsrael ex-president guilty of rape

Moshe Katsav is found guilty of rape and other sexual offences by Israel's highest court. Last Modified: 30 Dec 2010 08:59 GMT

Katsav may now try to contest the verdict, and what could be a lengthy jail sentence, in the Supreme Court [AFP] An Israeli court found Moshe Katsav, the country’s former president, guilty of rape and other sexual offenses in a conviction of unprecedented gravity for a former head of state. "Katsav's testimony was riddled with lies," the three-judge panel said in its ruling. "When a woman says no, she means no." Katsav, president from 2000 to 2007, had denied the charges of rape, molestation or harassment lodged by three ex-aides. He may now try to contest the Tel Aviv District Court's verdict, and what could be a lengthy jail sentence, in the Supreme Court. Though the scandal had forced Katsav's early retirement in disgrace, it had little impact on Israeli government functions, as the presidency is largely ceremonial. But the allegations against the leader, whose rise from the slums once considered a shining example for disadvantaged Jewish immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa, stirred deep emotions in Israel. Indeed, Katsav had cast himself as the victim of extortion and an ethnically motivated "witch-hunt", and had vowed to clear his name. Katsav immigrated with his family to Israel in 1951. At age 24 he became the country's youngest mayor and went on to hold a number of cabinet posts as a member of the rightist Likud party. The parliament elected him president in 2000 in an upset victory over Shimon Peres, who later succeeded Katsav as president. Katsav's prosecution was welcomed by women's groups that have long complained that Israeli authorities shrug off sexual harassment in workplaces. Out of concern for the complainants' privacy, much of the trial had taken place behind closed doors. Some commentators predicted that Katsav, should he appeal, will argue that the Tel Aviv District Court proceedings had not been transparent enough. "It's not pleasant to see a former president tried for serious crimes like this," Moshe Negbi, legal analyst for Israel Radio, said. "But on the other hand, I think every citizen should be proud that we live in a society where no citizen is above the law." The rape conviction carries a maximum prison sentence of 16 years, Negbi said. Any sentences handed down for lesser charges would likely be served concurrently, he added.

Source: Agencies