Following the prosecution's appeal:
The Supreme Court today (Monday) increased the sentence of a stepfather who committed sexual offenses on his spouse's daughter, from 13 to 15 years in prison.
In the verdict, the court noted that "in his actions, the defendant took the victim from the crime she needed the security she needed in her home-fortress. Unfortunately, this is a clear example of exploiting her personal circumstances - age, disability and place - of a victim unable to defend herself."
Defendant, who was married to the mother of the crime victim, who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, and served as her pain, admitted that since she was 12 to 18 he had committed sexual offenses with her that included rape and indecent acts.
After he was convicted in the Nazareth District Court of rape within the family and indecent acts in the circumstances of rape in the family, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison but the prosecution appealed the sentence to the Supreme Court, while the defendant appealed his severity.
As stated, the Supreme Court today accepted the prosecution's appeal and aggravated the defendant's sentence while noting that as a general rule, the appellate court does not exhaust the sentence to the end.
"Complex is the craft of punishment, all the more so for sexual offenses," wrote Judge Neil Handel, the vice president of the Supreme Court, "and even more so - for sexual offenses within the family committed against a minor. It is difficult to understand and more difficult to complete."
The judge further noted that "the court's reluctance, also in the emotional sense - is legitimate but it should be remembered that the emotional response can not be the end of a verse. The court is obliged to give reasons for its conclusion and decision on the sentence.
The state was represented in the proceedings by Adv. Deganit Cohen-Williams of the Criminal Department of the State Attorney's Office. In the district court, the case was handled by Adv. Yael Katz of the Northern District Attorney's Office.
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