Young woman raped in public bathroom in central Tel Aviv
Vice PM calls for ‘dramatically’ harsher punishments for violent crimes
A 17-year-old girl was raped late Friday night by an armed assailant in the bathroom of a parking lot in Tel Aviv.
The perpetrator, who threatened the young female and her 18-year-old boyfriend with a knife, forced the two to have sex with each other, before raping the girl and fleeing, police said.
The incident took place at the Gan Ha’ir municipal parking lot below city hall and adjacent to Rabin Square, a central and busy part of Tel Aviv.
[mappress mapid=”1136″]
The victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said they had a description of the assailant and were reviewing security camera footage from the parking lot.
Police also collected DNA and fingerprints at the scene. Investigators were running the evidence through a database of known sexual predators.
Speaking at a cultural event in Holon on Saturday, senior Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom (Likud) called for legislation that would “dramatically” harshen the punishment for violent crimes.
In light of the crime wave sweeping the country recently, Shalom said, “Anyone caught with a knife will be sent directly to jail.” He added that individuals caught with a knife should face a mandatory two-year sentence.
The Times of Israel Community.