Tel Aviv - The horrible story of a gang rape of a 12-year-old girl from
central Israel by a group of young teenage boys has shaken Israel to its core.
Sunday, seven additional boys were arrested, thus bringing the number of
suspects to a massive 13.
However, the police are quick to say that the investigation
is nowhere close to conclusion, and additional arrests are expected as they try
to make sense of what they call a "horrendous puzzle” of sexual abuse.
The
police stress that the horrible case is currently topping their priorities.
Since the weekend, Dan District Police have been managing
the investigation into the gang rape, which began last week before the police
even knew the identity of the victim – but rather just of
her existence.
According to current suspicions, a group of boys aged around
14 and older raped the 12-year-old girl on a number of occasions, at least one
of which was filmed and took place on a school premises. The video and
intelligence information led the police to the girl and then to the suspects.
The police call the investigation a "horrendous puzzle."
A source well informed in the incident's details said it is
possible the boys threatened the young girl they would "gossip about
her" to coerce her to perform the sexual acts.
The girl has already given the police her testimony and the
police already have the video documenting the attack perpetrated on school
grounds. According to the investigation, in at least some of the incidents full
sexual intercourse took place.
Lawyer Gadi Zilbershlag, who represents two brothers who are
suspected of involvement in the incident, said "they did not know she was
younger than them because she is taller and psychically larger.
They are good
kids and in this case it would be best to let them go (instead of extending
their remand). They are young; a prolonged detention could cause long term
damage.
They can be interrogated without being remanded. They are 13 and 14, we
do not want them to turn to crime."
The Education Ministry said in response to the incident:
"The ministry views this event with the utmost severity and has contacted
the police to learn the full extent of what happened.
Educational teams are
currently examining the damage sustained to those involved as well as their
schoolmates to formulate intervention plans at a personal, class and
school-wide level."
All of the suspects arrested are minors, and thus their
remand has been extended only by a day.
One of the boys was released after it
was revealed he had no connection to the disturbing incident. During the
weekend the first five suspects were arrested on suspicion of serious sexual
offences – two of the boys were brothers.
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