Cop accused of sex crimes against human trafficking victims

A police officer was arrested Wednesday after he was found to have had illicit relations with two women who were brought to Israel by a human trafficking gang to become prostitution, Hebrew media reported Thursday.

For the past several weeks police were investigating a human trafficking gang from Eastern Europe and gathering evidence against a number of suspects who were arrested and indicted.

Some of the women were sent to a women’s shelter, and at some point, commanders suspected, one of the interrogators exploited the women.

The policeman, from the central region, was arrested and suspended immediately. Authorities were also about to begin the process of removing him from the police force entirely.

The Justice Ministry’s Police Investigations Department said it had investigated the policeman on suspicion of bribery, disrupting an investigation and sexual offenses against two women brought to Israel by a gang of traffickers for the purpose of prostitution.

“The Israel police received a report today of a policeman who allegedly had forbidden sexual relations with a subject of an investigation,” police said in a statement. “We view the incident, like every incident, extremely seriously, and it does not reflect the values of the police force and counters the integrity expected from every person in general and especially from a law enforcement agent.”