Israeli actor to be indicted for sex crimes against four women
Prosecutors announce they will try Moshe Ivgy for indecent acts, sexual assault after court rejects his arguments
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Prosecutors announced Thursday they will file sex crime charges against prominent actor Moshe Ivgy, after all his arguments were rejected in a hearing.
Prosecutors found sufficient evidence that Ivgy exploited his status to commit indecent acts and sexually harass four women in 2012 and 2013, some of them in his workplace.
“We welcome the decision and trust in the prosecution and the court that justice will be served against the accused,” a lawyer for the women said.
Rumors in November of a plea deal, whereby Ivgy would admit to the allegations but not face criminal charges, were denied by the prosecution.
The 62-year-old prize-winning actor and director was born in Morocco and moved to Israel with his parents as a baby.
The initial accusations against Ivgy were leveled in February 2016.
Of his six original accusers, four women were willing to cooperate with the police investigation.
All six accused Ivgy of harassing them while they were working together on various films, TV shows, and plays.
The women told the Walla news site of private rehearsals in which Ivgy would force himself on them, often insisting on unnecessary “rehearsing” of intimate scenes, and kissing them against their will.
Ivgy, who denies any wrongdoing, said in February 2016 he would take a break from acting for the duration of the probe.
“In light of the wave of reports rocking my life and causing my family much grief, I have decided to take a timeout,” Ivgy said in a statement last year, “I repeat – I did not harm a single person, man or woman.” He declined to respond to the allegations publicly, but said he “would do so fully” in the police investigation.
Ivgy has appeared in dozens of films, plays and television shows, including “Hunting Elephants” (2013) and Steven Spielberg’s “Munich,” and won an Ophir — Israel’s Academy Award — for his supporting role in “Metallic Blues” (2004) in a year when he was also nominated for Best Actor for his role in the award-winning “Campfire.”
His daughter, Dana Ivgy, is also an award-winning actress.
The Times of Israel Community.