The tragic death of Yael Greenberg, the victim of the gang rape at Kibbutz Shomrat, sparked the discourse about the ridiculous punishments given to rapists who, after serving their prison term, continue with their lives as usual. The public and activist focus that shines the spotlight on increasing the prison sentences of the offenders is important, but no less important is the struggle whose voice is barely heard, which places the victim at the center, and especially her ability to return to normal life.
Even when the perpetrator takes the stand, the victim and her chances of rehabilitation are not the story. And what is perhaps least talked about is the financial difficulty that will accompany her for the rest of her life. With ridiculous state allowances, a collapsed mental health system that does not provide a proper response, and loss of work capacity, victims pay an unbearable price, in every way.
"I remember the day I stood in front of the empty refrigerator and had nothing to give my daughters to eat. They were small. So I decided I would sell my body," Greenberg said in an interview.
In the United States, for example, studies have shown that women who were victims of teenage rape earned $240,50 less on average than women who were not assaulted. 240 percent of sexual assault victims quit their jobs about a year after the abuse. The White House Council on Women and Girls estimated the cost of rehabilitating a rape victim at $84,<> to $<>,<>.
In Israel, too, they were required to analyze the data. The Wagshall Commission, which discussed the rights of crime victims some 15 years ago, concluded at the time that rape is the second most costly offense to the state, after murder, and in severe cases its cost is even higher. Following her conclusions, former MK Michal Rozin initiated the Rape and Sexual Assault Victims Compensation Law, which has not been enacted to this day.
Testimonies of women who have been sexually assaulted illustrate the financial burden on them since the abuse. "There are no appointments for a psychiatrist in the public purse, not even for those under arrangement," an 18-year-old woman recently told me. "If I don't have 1,200 shekels for a meeting, there's nothing I can do. I've been waiting almost a year for treatment, and I'm just getting worse. Even when I receive treatment, it is time-limited, meaning it should be a 'deadline' for my recovery. The process of obtaining a pension is difficult and long, and a victim who is unable to work is unable to go through it. Prescription for medical cannabis is hell, and for some victims it is their only way to fall asleep. I don't even know what my rights are, so how do I claim them? I don't know how I'm still alive."
"If I didn't have financial support, I would have ended up on the street," an impressive and educated woman tells me. "The allowance I receive from the National Insurance Institute is not enough for a dignified life. I have 100% loss of work capacity, 65% mental disability. The most painful thing is that every two years I have to go to the National Insurance Institute committee because the allowance is temporary, and then I have to relive the trauma. Those who do not have financial support cannot live on a disability pension, which stands at only NIS 5,000. To date, rehabilitation has cost me a quarter of a million shekels."
If the media discourse and social demands for harsher punishments for rapists have increased in intensity since Greenberg's death, real legal reform may be a payment that the perpetrator will be obliged to pay regularly to those who destroyed her life. His time in prison won't restore her ability to work, but money for care, rent, food will make it easier for her. If ridiculous incarceration doesn't deter rapists, financial burdens may be.
It is said that rape is similar to murder. But this is not true. The painful reality proves that rape is an intolerable daily reality. Death is final. And it's cheap. But rape survivors are equal citizens, who must be provided with budgets and mental and financial well-being. They live in a mental life sentence that is not shortened by a third, and good behavior does not confer freedom. There are vacations here and there, but as the perpetrators leave the prison gates and put their act of villainy behind, within the walls, the trembling wings of the eternal child frozen in time still flutter.
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