The Constitution Committee, together with the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women discussed today (Sunday) the bill to abolish the statute of limitations for sexual offenses.
According to the proposed law, sexual offenses against minors, and certain sexual offenses committed under aggravating circumstances, will not have a statute of limitations.
The main goal of the law is to provide a "broad protection umbrella" for minors and create prevention and deterrence from committing sexual offenses and removing barriers to filing a complaint with the police even after many years.
"Sexual offenses do not expire, it is murder of the mind and soul," said MK Efrat Raiten (Labor), one of the initiators of the bill that discussed it in the proposal for first reading in the Knesset. "I am glad that you understand the importance of the discussion here, I have all the answers in front of the The sentences and everything can be resolved."
Chairman of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women, Tamno-Sheta/Knesset Speaker, no
Mia and Eti Ben Haim, two sisters who were sexually assaulted as children told the members of the committee that they were raped day after day by their father.
"The hell that we lived was inside our house, day by day, minute by minute. For years, we never forgot a day. Our parents crushed our souls instead of protecting us. For years we kept silent and felt guilty. We wanted recognition, but we remained transparent. After years, my sister and I decided to file a complaint with the police Does anyone understand how much power it takes to file a complaint against one's parents? Hours of hard testimony and years of cases where the soul was injured, the statute of limitations applies to the alleged offenses. The rapist will continue his life under the protection of the state and the law. Me and unfortunately thousands of other children, men, women, who feel like citizens B. There is no one who cares for us, not for justice, not for the truth. Tell me, what is your role? Why would a victim want to file a complaint with the police? It is our duty as human beings to create change."
In the discussion itself, the members of the committee were presented with the police investigation and confrontation of the sisters in the investigation of the complaint against her father and mother.
The chairman of the committee, MK Panina Tamno Sheta (state camp): "This scum of a man should be in prison for the rest of his life. The thought that he is out there is free and justifies his words, a psychopath who argues about issues that are difficult to repeat. I have no words to thank you for being here. I embrace you and together we will do the most basic struggle. We must give this the legal answer, because if not we are in trouble."
"Even if the proposal passes - the problem will not be solved."
Yael Sherer/Official website, Uri Kidar
H., who was sexually abused by a relative, told her story: "There was abuse within the family first-hand. When I started with my in-depth treatment, I was abused again by a distant relative of the family. My initial abuse was at the age of 7, and I got out on the day Last Friday to meet him. When I started talking to the offender, who is a high school teacher today, I caught him at the end of school hours. He is a Bible teacher in the center of the country.
He was surprised to see me, tried somehow to talk inside the school, but I wanted to talk to him on the bench outside.
What amazed me was that he told everything I remembered about my sexual abuse one by one.
It doesn't make sense that it ended with me, and he admitted to me that he hurt another boy and another girl and it wasn't just me.
He continues to work today, he is aware of it and does not deny it.
What am I supposed to do with it?
He is also supposed to stand trial and that is not happening.
What am I supposed to do?
That is why I would like to reach an agreement on the bill and put it up for first reading."
"It is not right to completely cancel the obsolescence, we have to be aware of balances."
Levin/Flash 90, Jonathan Zindel
Yael Sherer, director of the lobby to combat sexual violence, who was sexually assaulted herself, said: "This discussion makes me sad. We have a problem and we will not solve it here. Even if the bill passes, the problem will not be solved. People will file complaints and the police will close them, not due to obsolescence but due to Lack of evidence. All investigations should be conducted with a large number of personnel and there is no proposal to increase them, they will close the cases as the prosecutor's office also does and this is not likely to change. I am very concerned that the government itself is not willing to stand behind the demand and back it up with any of its own actions. Years are looking at legislation Patch on patch, and sections are being amended again and again and they do not fit one with the other. There is no comprehensive action on the part of the Ministry of Justice. Work should have been done to resolve this. What is being done today is continuing to let the discussions drag on without offering an informed proposal."
"The arguments of the Ministry of Justice are outrageous"
Attorney Lilach Ganor presented the position of the Ministry of Justice: "The evidence is very difficult.
We have made progress on the issue of obsolescence, the process is slow, but it is happening.
It may not be enough.
We are not the bad guy here, even in relation to the world and the association of assistance centers for victims of sexual violence.
It is not correct to completely cancel obsolescence, one must be aware of balances.
Maybe it's hard to hear the things I say, and I sympathize with the pain and hurt the pain of the victims.
In a criminal trial when talking about evidence that negates his innocence, the bar is very difficult.
We need to think about cases that are not here on the table of innocent people who are accused."
Temanu Sheta replied: "These arguments outrage me.
People go through a whole process of a lifetime to go and complain to the police, your argument doesn't hold water.
There is a conflict between values and rights, the debate is on the sidelines about the people you are talking about.
The same can be said about battered women or murder.
Throw the victims to hell.
I want to be on the side of those seeking justice."
Attorney Ganor continued: "The difficulty for a minor to complain is enormous. We met with other victims who were harmed as children and the difficulties they mentioned to us, until the possibility of revealing the events they went through. That is why we proposed to extend the statute of limitations at all and not Only regarding minors in the family. We held a large number of meetings on this, the Minister of Justice requested that we hold another meeting with the assistance centers for victims of sexual assault. For him, the complete cancellation of the statute of limitations is not correct for the reasons I mentioned."
More on the same topic:
The Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women
The Constitution Committee
sexual offenses
Obsolescence
Rival Levin
Pinina Tamno-Sheta
minors