Police open probe into prison guard ‘pimping’ allegations

The police serious crimes unit says it has opened a probe into allegations leveled by Gilboa prison commander Freddy Ben Shitrit about female soldiers being offered up as sexual gifts meant to mollify inmates.

Ben Shitrit’s comments about what he called “pimping” to a panel investigating an escape from the prison have sparked a firestorm, three years after officials closed a probe into the matter for lack of evidence, despite the testimony of several female soldiers about being harassed or sexually assaulted by inmates as part of the practice.

Police are expected to summon Ben Shitrit for questioning to explain his comments, though he was not yet at the prison in 2018 when the alleged acts took place.

Earlier in the day, Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev, who oversees the police, asked the Attorney General to probe the case, and said police chief Kobi Shabtai was also planning to look into the allegations.