IDF soldier gets 6-month sentence for raping colleague

Judges says light sentence takes into consideration the fact that the two had previously had consensual sexual activity

A military court in Haifa on Tuesday jailed an IDF soldier for six months for raping a female colleague, citing a previous consensual encounter between the two as a reason for the light sentence.

“The punishment at first glance may seem unfitting, considering the accusation of rape, But it’s the result of a thorough examination of the circumstances,” the judges wrote, according to the Ynet news website.

The soldier entered into a plea bargain with the military prosecutor, admitting to the rape as well as obstruction of justice for attempting to dissuade the victim from reporting the attack to her superior officers.

According to the indictment, the attack occurred in July 2015, when the two soldiers were serving on a base in northern Israel.

Prosecutors had sought a 17-month jail term, while the defendant’s attorneys requested six months. The judges ultimately agreed to the shorter term, in light of the solider’s clean criminal record and the “special circumstances” surrounding the case. One of the judges advocated a longer term.