Pending hearing, former Jerusalem police chief to face charges of sexual misconduct

Israel Police’s internal Investigation Division on Wednesday informed former Jerusalem District police chief Nissan “Niso” Shaham’s attorneys that it was tentatively filing sexual assault and a host of other charges against him pending a hearing with the unit chief.

Shaham stepped down from his post as Jerusalem District police chief in August amid allegations of breach of trust, fraud, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and illicit consensual sex with multiple female subordinates.

The investigations department published a memo in which it wrote that “according to the investigation’s finding, during his service as a senior officer in the Israel Police in senior command ranks, Commander Shaham is suspected of using his rank in order to take advantage of significantly younger female officers… in junior positions, who were subordinate to him, and engage in consensual sexual relations that violated the rules and regulations of a senior police officer and commander.”

Sources close to Shaham told Ynet that the charges leveled at the ex-police commander had shifted more toward breach of trust and fraud, rather than sexual misconduct.

Shaham’s lawyers asserted that he was innocent.

“He did not commit criminal acts and we will try to convince the Police Investigation Division as such during the hearing,” they said. “We believe that in the framework of this process these matters will be investigated in depth, and the question of whether or not to file charges in this incident will be examined.”