Three suspects in alleged rape of Israeli girl released

Police say the three men detained earlier today in connection with the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl earlier this year in a West Bank settlement have been released.

The suspects are two Palestinian construction workers who were questioned in the case in the past, and an Israeli driver who transports Palestinian construction workers in the area, according to a police spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman says the three are not suspected of direct involvement in the rape. An unnamed law enforcement official told the Walla news site earlier today they were not expected to be charged.

The questioning comes months after the case against police’s main suspect Mahmoud Qadusa fell apart in June under intense public scrutiny, in an affair that drew accusations of shoddy police work.