Palestinian school janitor charged with raping 7-year-old Israeli girl
Defendant allegedly bribed student with candy, brought her to construction site, and violently assaulted her, according to indictment
Prosecutors in a West Bank military court on Sunday charged a Palestinian man from the village of Dir Kadis with the kidnapping and rape of a 7-year-old Israeli girl.
The defendant worked in cleaning and maintenance in a school in the central West Bank. He established a connection with the girl by giving her sweets, according to the charge sheet.
The indictment described how the defendant brought the girl to a building near the school that was under construction, forcibly held her there, raped her, then released her.
He was charged with rape in aggravated circumstances, assault, and kidnapping.
The indictment followed a three-month investigation carried out by the police. The defendant had denied all charges during the investigation, putting his word against the girl’s testimony.
After finding out about the rape, the girl’s family consulted with educational experts, and is making efforts to rehabilitate her, the Ynet news site reported.
The Dir Kadis village is located west of Ramallah. The West Bank settlement where the defendant was employed was not named.
The Times of Israel Community.