Prosecution okays early release of actor Ivgy, convicted of indecent assault
Na’amat women’s rights group slams State Prosecution for not objecting to move, says it sends wrong message to offenders and victims, reduces deterrent threat of prison time
The State Prosecution on Monday said it would not object to the early release of imprisoned actor Moshe Ivgy, serving time over the indecent assault and sexual harassment of four women.
As a result, Ivgy will be released next week, Hebrew media reported.
Ivgy, a well-known TV and movie star in Israel, was serving an 11-month prison sentence at the Hermon Prison in northern Israel.
He was convicted on five counts of indecent acts and sexual harassment last year and sentenced by the Haifa Magistrate’s Court, after the court overturned a previous verdict sentencing him to just six months of community service.
The charges stemmed from complaints from six women, who accused Ivgy of harassing them while they were working together on various films, TV shows and plays years earlier.
The chair of the Na’amat women’s group, Hagit Pe’er, slammed the prosecution for not appealing against the shortened sentence.
“The day before Women’s Day, the prosecution again failed the test of values and employs a light-handed policy of forgiveness towards sex offenders,” Pe’er said in a statement.
She said the prosecution’s attitude sends the wrong message to sex offenders and their victims, and reduces the deterrence of prison time.
One of Ivgy’s victims had sent a letter objecting to his early release but the parole committee nonetheless approved the move, Channel 12 News reported.
The parole board said at the time that although Ivgy’s crimes were “ugly,” the chances that he would pose a danger to the public or reoffend had diminished since he was jailed. Prosecutors have said in the past that Ivgy’s multiple assaults demonstrate a pattern of behavior.
The board said that he would undergo rehabilitation upon his release, in addition to the treatment he received during his incarceration.
Ivgy has appeared in dozens of films, plays and television shows, including “Hunting Elephants” (2013) and Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” (2005) and won an Ophir — Israel’s top film award — for his supporting role in “Metallic Blues” in 2004, the same year he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in the award-winning “Campfire.”
The Times of Israel Community.