A modeling agent accused of sexual assault will be released to house arrest as he awaits trial, a judge rules.
Shai Avital, who is facing a slew of sexual harassment and assault complaints from women who worked with him going back years, was extradited to Israel earlier this month after being captured in Amsterdam in August after over a year on the run abroad. He was charged last week over complaints from two of his alleged victims.
Israeli modeling agent Shai Avital (right) poses with models, during an event on a rooftop in Tel Aviv, on September 17, 2017. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90/ File)
The prosecution had sought to keep him behind bars and is seeking a stay on the order to free Avital, who will wear an ankle monitor during his house arrest.
Attorney Ben Maoz, representing some of those who have complained about the agent, previously told Ynet that “Avital is a person who should not be trusted, and he should remain detained until the end of the proceedings against him.”
Avital’s lawyers tell Channel 12 news that they are happy with the decision to free him.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
