Eritrean arrested for alleged rape of disabled woman

An Eritrean citizen was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of raping and robbing a disabled woman in her home in Tel Aviv.

Details of the case were only released for publication on Wednesday when the 24-year-old suspect was brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court.

According to police, the man broke into the home of his victim, a disabled woman in her 40s, raped her and then stole some money.

Tel Aviv has gained a large population of African citizens from Eritrea and Sudan who arrived in Israel seeking refuge from the wars and humanitarian crises in their own countries.

There are roughly 60,000 African migrants in Israel, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan. Many of the migrants are concentrated in the low-income neighborhoods of southern Tel Aviv.

Tensions between local residents and the migrants have become strained following a number of violent crimes committed by African citizens. In response, attacks on African migrants have also been carried out, including beatings and arson.

The government has invested millions of dollars in a project to build a barrier along the Israel-Sinai border to prevent migrants from gaining access to the country. Those apprehended crossing the border are taken to detention centers in the south of the country rather than Tel Aviv as was the practice in the past.