Model agent Shai Avital, who is suspected of sexually assaulting dozens of women, is scheduled to board a flight to Israel tomorrow (Tuesday) morning with two Israeli police officers, and in the afternoon to land in Israel. This will bring to an end the extradition procedure from the Netherlands to Israel, which began with Avital's arrest last August and was delayed for the last two weeks due to the holidays in Europe.
When Avital arrives in Israel, the investigators will confront him for the first time with the evidence they have gathered against him and will also hold confrontations between him and some of the complainants.
On Wednesday he will be brought to the Magistrate's Court in Tel Aviv, where they will ask the police to extend his detention for investigation purposes.
About two weeks ago, the Minister of Justice of the Netherlands, Dylan Ysilgoz-Zagrios, ordered the extradition of the model's agent suspected of committing sexual offenses to Israel, this after last September the international department of the state attorney's office submitted an extradition request to the Dutch authorities in Amsterdam.
Already last month, the Dutch court granted the request, and determined that Shay Avital is extraditable to Israel.
As part of the extradition request, the prosecutor's office told the authorities in the Netherlands that it intends to prosecute Avital for sexual offenses he committed against two complainants who came to him as part of his work as a modeling agent.
Avital during his arrest last August in the Netherlands, photo: police spokesmen
After Bittel did not appeal the decision, the Dutch minister adopted the position of the Israeli prosecutor's office, and due to the fact that it was a period close to the holidays, the signing of the forms was slightly delayed.
Political cooperation
Last August, Avital was arrested in the heart of Amsterdam, as part of a joint operation by the intelligence division and the Dutch police.
Avital, who left a restaurant in the Leidseplein area, was recognized on the street by a representative of the police in the Netherlands, and was arrested to his surprise after full identification.
As I recall, the investigation against Avital began about a year ago, when he went abroad even before the investigation file was opened and promised the police that he would return immediately when called upon. However, he chose not to return to Israel despite being summoned by the police for investigation last March.
After all the evidence was collected, the police hope that in half of them they were able to establish a solid evidentiary foundation
So far, the police have collected testimonies from 26 complainants against him, and only some of them have solid evidence.
Also in the Netherlands, an indictment was presented regarding only two cases.
As I recall, the evidence was published in television investigative programs and within a short time the police opened an investigation.
strengthen the evidence
The complainants who came to testify at the police claimed that Avital, one of the most prominent agents in the industry, who represents prominent models in Israel such as Netta Alchemister, Estee Ginsburg, Coral Simanovich and many more, sexually harassed and sexually forced himself on women who came to him for professional meetings.
After all the evidence was collected, the police hope that in half of them they were able to establish a solid evidentiary foundation.
This, after receiving from the complainants, apart from the testimony, also text messages and WhatsApp messages.
The investigation was accompanied by a lawyer who went through all the materials collected by the investigators, and instructed them regarding the completion of the investigation and the collection of additional evidence to strengthen the evidentiary infrastructure against Avital.
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
