Police arrest 2 East Jerusalem men over Tel Aviv gang rape of foreign citizen
Officials say woman met up with suspect, whom she knew, at a bar; he and another man offered her a ride home, then took her to an unknown location and sexually assaulted her
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Police on Tuesday said two residents of East Jerusalem, aged 25 and 26, were under arrest on suspicion of gang-raping a foreign citizen.
According to police’s preliminary investigation, the victim met with one of the suspects, whom she already knew, at a bar in Tel Aviv on Thursday night. At the end of the night, he offered to give her a ride home.
Instead, police said the man, joined by the second suspect, allegedly drove the woman to an undisclosed location and carried out grave acts of sexual assault against her “after giving her a drink that clouded her senses.”
Police received a complaint on Friday, and immediately opened an investigation, “using digital and other means,” and managed to identify the suspects within hours, the police said.
The two were arrested that day and questioned on suspicions of rape and conspiracy.
Police released a video of the arrest, with the faces of the victims blurred.
The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court extended the suspects’ remand until Tuesday, and police said they intended to seek a further extension as they continue their investigation.
According to the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, one in seven women is raped during her lifetime and 85 percent of sexual assaults are carried out by someone the victim knows. In 2019, the organization said nine out of 10 rape cases are closed by prosecutors without charge.
The Times of Israel Community.