Ex-staffer at Israeli mission alleges sexual assault by co-workers

A former employee of an Israeli mission in an unnamed foreign country claimed she was sexually assaulted by two co-workers and then silenced by her superiors.

After lodging a complaint with the police, the woman made a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, Channel 2 reported Monday, requesting a formal investigation into her allegations.

The former employee said she was sexually assaulted in 2014, six months after she began working at the foreign consulate. In her formal statement to the commission, the woman claimed to have suffered a “very serious sexual assault” by two co-workers, in an apartment owned by the consulate.

The woman said in her statement that she brought the incident to the attention of the her direct boss as well as to high-ranking officials in the Civil Service Commission, but that no action was taken.

She also notified the police, who conducted an investigation and presented their findings to the prosecutor’s office. The case was closed due to a lack of sufficient evidence, the report said.

In the statement, which was submitted on her behalf by her attorney Naomi Landau, the woman stated she is suffering from severe physical and psychological damage due to the assault, and is receiving treatment.

The woman said she was silenced by the high-ranking officials at the consulate after she complained, and that one even told her he would do everything in his power to prevent her from receiving a promotion.

Landau said: “The Defense Ministry, the woman’s employer, didn’t take any steps to help her and she was even forced to continue working with her attackers after the incident.”

Zion Amir, the lawyer for one of the accused, said: “I have no doubt that this file should be shredded, because the accused is innocent.”