Police arrest 4th suspect over alleged gang rape of 16-year-old

Police arrested a fourth suspect on Saturday in connection to the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat.

He was the second suspect arrested during the day. Both detainees are 17-years-old and residents of southern Israel, according to Hebrew media reports.

“The police will request today to extend the remand of one of the minors who was arrested and tomorrow will bring the second minor to [a] remand [hearing],” a police statement says.

The first two arrests were of men in their late 20s from northern Israel.

The first 17-year-old who was arrested on Saturday denied any connection to the alleged incident, but police believe he took an active role in the assault, the Kan public broadcaster reported.

“I was in the hotel. I wasn’t in the room,” he said, according to Walla news. “I’m not familiar with the incident. I heard about it on the news.”

Law enforcement reported “very significant” progress in their investigation on Saturday, the Ynet news site reported, and more arrests are expected in the coming days.

Investigators believe the number of assailants was likely in the double digits, the Walla news site reported. Initial reports indicated the number of assailants was as high as 30.

Additionally, it was reported that a woman, 19, was questioned on suspicion of attempting to obtain a video of the alleged assault.

The woman was detained by the police after it received a screen grab from a WhatsApp group in which a member asked if anyone had video of the incident. The woman responded: “Share, don’t hold back.”

According to Channel 13 news, the woman was released after apologizing and saying she wrote the message without thought or intent to harm.

Social service workers providing assistance to the alleged victim told Channel 12 on Friday that they are highly concerned about her mental health. They said she is terrified by the possibility that footage of the alleged rape could be released online.

Police have increased security around her home following what law enforcement said was an increase in “violent online discourse” against the girl over the case.

The case has sent shockwaves throughout Israel, after testimony indicated that a large group of men lined up outside the intoxicated underage girl’s hotel room, patiently waiting their turn to rape her, as eyewitnesses failed to intervene.

Hundreds of demonstrators protested against sexual violence in response to the incident around Israel on Saturday night, including dozens at a rally in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square.

Protesters chanted, “It’s dangerous to be a woman,” “It’s not a mistake, it’s policy,” “Stop spilling our blood,” and “No means no, what part of that do you not understand?”

The demonstrators demand a budget increase for programs combating violence against women, changes to the justice system, and better medical support for sexual assault victims, among other measures.

Law enforcement officials on Thursday said witness testimony provided by a friend of the 16-year-old girl strengthened the case against one of the main suspects.

Police staged a confrontation between the friend, who traveled to Eilat with the alleged victim, and the suspect, who is believed to have been the first to rape the girl at the Red Sea Hotel, according to Friday Hebrew media reports.

The alleged victim’s friend stuck to her version of the incident during the confrontation, and investigators deemed her testimony credible and a clear description of the night’s events, the Ynet news site reported.