Soldier pleads guilty to raping female comrade

An IDF serviceman pled guilty to raping a female soldier in his unit on Wednesday, a military official said.

In May, Military Police officers arrested Sgt. Eliav Hassid a day after the victim reported that he had raped her multiple times in April.

At least one of the alleged instances of rape was said to have occurred in her barracks on the base in southern Israel where they both served, according to the army.

Hassid was indicted in June. In court, his attorneys did not deny that the two had sex, but argued that it was consensual.

On Wednesday, a military court convicted Hassid of rape, the army said.

The guilty verdict came as part of a plea deal, in which Hassid will be sentenced to between 24 and 30 months in prison, depending on an assessment of how much of a danger he poses.

Under the deal, Hassid will have an additional, suspended sentence. He will also be demoted to the rank of private and pay damages to the victim, whose name is not being released in order to protect her privacy, according to military officials.

The details of the plea arrangement were presented to and approved by the victim ahead of time.

Hassid and his victim both served in a mixed-gender combat unit. However, Hassid was not a combat soldier; he served in the unit’s headquarters.