Court rejects ex-top cop’s appeal over 10-month sentence for sex offenses, fraud

The Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by a former Jerusalem police chief against a prison sentence handed down over a sexual harassment conviction.

Nissan “Niso” Shaham was sentenced in February following a district court decision in September that convicted him on charges of sexual harassment, fraud and breach of trust over incidents involving numerous female officers under his command.

The ruling overturned an April 2018 verdict that convicted him only of the lesser charge of carrying out an indecent act.

The court ruled in February that he should serve 10 months behind bars and another five months of probation, and he was fined NIS 7,500 (approximately $2,000). He was also ordered to compensate two of the victims with NIS 1,500 (approximately $400) and a further victim with NIS 500 (approximately $150).

He appealed that ruling in a claim that was rejected on Tuesday.

“The sentence imposed on the appellant is not light, but it is appropriate given the seriousness of the offenses for which he was convicted, the multiplicity of offenses, the totality of the circumstances and the overall conduct of the appellant, over many years, toward eight young and junior female police officers,” the judgement read.

The court initially ruled that Shaham was to surrender himself on August 16, but when his attorney notified the court of an intention to lodge an appeal at the Supreme Court, that date was set at 45 days from Tuesday’s ruling.

Shaham was first convicted in April 2018 for kissing a junior officer, but was acquitted of the other charges filed against him. Prosecutors had claimed that on multiple occasions Shaham had coerced police officers into sleeping with him, and later made decisions about their careers.

He was sentenced in December 2018 to community service, but in September 2019, the Tel Aviv District Court accepted the appeal by the state and overturned the decision to clear Shaham of sexual harassment, fraud and breach of trust, and convicted him of the original charges. It kicked the case back down to the Magistrate’s Court for the February sentencing prior to the most recent appeal.

Ronen Yitzhak and Liat Yunnian of the Police Internal Investigations Department welcomed Tuesday’s ruling, saying in a statement that the rejection of the appeal was appropriate and was part of a wider battle over workplace safety.

“Such cases must not happen. It is another stone in the fight against government corruption and making jobs safer,” Yitzhak said.

Orit Sulitzeanu, director of the The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, told Channel 13 news that the rejection of the appeal sent a clear message.

“Today it was determined that the criminal Shaham harmed 30,000 police officers by trying to present his criminal acts as legitimate and acceptable within the police force. The price tag that Shaham should pay should have been higher, but the actual imprisonment is a clear message to every officer and every police officer who has to this day enjoyed the court’s ‘generosity’ toward serial sex offenders who take advantage of their authority,” Sulitzeanu said.