This is outrageous!

[eumelia]

High Court upholds Katsav sex crimes plea bargain

High Court upholds Katsav sex crimes plea bargain
By Tomer Zarchin, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies

The High Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld the plea bargain signed with former president Moshe Katsav over alleged sex crimes, which dropped all rape charges against Katsav.

A five-justice panel headed by Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch, rejected six petitions against the deal, paving the way for Katsav not to serve any jail time.

The majority opinion found that, despite these faults, the petitions against the deal should be rejected because the court did not have sufficient reason to interfere with Mazuz's decision. According to justices Procaccia and Grunis, Mazuz's decision to opt for the plea bargain was a reasonable judgment that he made based on evidentiary considerations.

The minority opinion proffered by Beinisch and Levy called for the plea deal to be overturned and for the attorney general to reconsider trying Katsav for on rape charges involving former Tourism Ministry employee A, as well as charges involving former President's Residence employee L.'s allegations that he kissed her neck and hugged her.

Beinisch and Levy found that the plea bargain completely contradicts the public interest, and therefore requires the court to intervene.

Women's rights and good-governance groups, bolstered by a public outcry, had petitioned the court to overturn the agreement shortly after it was announced eight months ago.

"This is a sad day," said Yifat Matzner, an attorney for a women's rights group that appealed the plea bargain.

Kinneret Barashi, a lawyer for one of the women who accused Katsav of rape, said she was very much infuriated by the court's refusal to overturn the deal.

"If the attorney general's decision was wrong, deficient, riddled with shortcomings, distorts reality, causes many people emotional upheaval and leaves a woman's body defenseless, then I think it would have been proper to intervene in such a vile plea bargain," she said.

But Katzav's lawyers hailed the ruling. "President Katzav was accused of the most serious crimes: two rapes here, another rape there, and was presented ... as a serial sexual offender," attorney Avigdor Feldman told reporters, calling the final charges a tiny, shriveled-up indictment.

"Someone owes the president a deep apology," Feldman said.


The petitions were filed in response to Mazuz's decision in June 2007 to sign a plea bargain with Katsav that eliminated the two counts of rape that had appeared in the draft indictment. It also eliminated several other charges that had appeared in the draft indictment, including two counts of forcible indecent assault, and one of sexual intercourse while exploiting an employer-employee relationship.

The plea bargain includes only minor sexual offenses - one count of indecent assault involving pressure and one of sexual harassment - and would give Katsav a suspended sentence rather than actual jail time.

Mazuz decided on the plea bargain after Katsav's lawyers convinced him during a hearing that much of the evidence would not stand up in court - especially that related to the complaint filed by A., who worked for Katsav at the President's Residence. Such hearings are standard practice before indictments against senior public officials are finalized.

In addition, Katsav's attorneys presented new evidence at this hearing which also contributed to Mazuz's change of heart, according to the brief he filed in response to the petitions.

In the end, all charges related to A. from the President's Residence were dropped. The plea bargain accuses Katsav of hugging and stroking another former employee, also known as A., who worked for him while he served as tourism minister, and kissing her on the mouth, as well as the accusations involving L. Katsav has confessed to these acts, but insists that they were merely friendly gestures, not sexual overtures.

I really have no idea what to say about it.
I'm so angry I don't know what to do with myself other than to say that this is so wrong, unjust and so full of shit the brown is oozing out of this whole situation.

I'm loathe to use this word for fear that it will insult other men, but this man got away with it. Really he did.
He's not going to jail, he didn't "commit" rape, the major "alleged" sexual assault crimes were dropped and all he's left with is a sexual harassment charge and a "non-violent" assault.

Did I mention that there is no fucking justice in this world?

I heard, at the time when this was all over the News, that he was being slandered and he even accused the media of persecuting him and mentioned the word "Lynch".

I think of "A" who had her identity revealed at some point (which goes against the victim anonymity law) and how she was called a whore and a prostitute and how she brought it on herself and all the regular victim-blaming spiel and thought "is no one going to say anything about abuse of power and position".
Because this is exactly what it is - say, he really didn't (though I sincerely doubt it) rape those women - someone came forward and accused this man of forcing himself on her, with the expectation of compliance.
Yes, in the eyes and minds of these men in high position it is expected of women to comply to their whims and wishes, after all, almost all the women they are surrounded with around the office are there to serve them.

How dare those women not be available sexually, that unthinkable that they not want to submit to my power and dominance. How dare those women complain, they should be greatful I find them attractive and want to sleep with them.
This is, quite obviously, said with great scorn, sarcasm and anger.

If you're interested, here are the related articles which can be found at the bottom of the page linked above:
Katsav plea bargain signed: President to admit to indecent assault, resign today.
Tens of thousands protest in Tel Aviv over Katsav plea bargain.
Shendar: Public misled on Katsav plea bargain.
Source: High Court shouldn't cancel Katsav plea bargain.

For a non-Israeli view on this check out the BBC article and related stories linked on that page: Israel upholds Katsav plea deal.