Gang rape in Eilat: 11 of the 30 accused were arrested and "sensitive evidence" supports the victim's account
Thirty Israeli youths raped the 16-year-old girl in a room in a hotel in Eilat. Archives
A senior Israeli police official confirmed today, Sunday, that investigators have found "sensitive evidence" that reinforces the allegations of the 16-year-old girl, who filed a complaint about ten days ago about her being gang-raped while on vacation in a hotel in Eilat, according to what was stated in Channel 12 Israel.
Last Thursday, the case was revealed for the first time, and at that time 30 Israeli youths were reported to have raped the 16-year-old girl in a room in a hotel in Eilat on Wednesday 12 August.
The girl had filed a complaint on Friday, August 14th, to the police about her being gang-raped. The large number of suspects prompted the police to set up an investigation team for this case.
The publication of the details of the gang rape sparked angry reactions in the political, social and human rights organizations. The protests against sexual violence that began in the wake of the revelation of the case are expected to reach their climax this evening, Sunday. Where demonstrations are held in dozens of intersections and main streets in Israel.
The crime went on for hours
Israel's Channel 12 news quoted a police official as saying that suspicions indicate that the crime of rape has continued for a long time, and that the police have sensitive material that they do not wish to disclose at this stage of the investigation.
The source stressed that the police had reached a clear conclusion that the crime of rape continued for a long time, and said, "This horrific rape that lasted for hours."
"The number of assailants reaches a two-digit number"
Today, the Israeli police arrested a high-ranking hotel employee on charges of disturbing investigations and not preventing the commission of a crime, after the police had summoned her earlier today for investigation, as she preserved her right to remain silent, and preferred not to cooperate with the investigators.
The police have also summoned seven 17-year-olds for investigation, on suspicion of their involvement in the crime. The suspects will be brought to court later today to consider extending their detention.
The police had arrested two 17-year-old boys, in addition to two young adults who had been arrested during the past week, and the court extended their detention, noting that one of them was the central suspect, a 27-year-old from Hadera.
The Israeli public channel ("Kan 11") quoted a police official as saying that the number of suspects "reached a two-digit number," noting that the number of detainees until this moment has reached 11 suspects.
High credibility of the girl's narration
Two police officials, one of whom spoke to Kan 11 and the other to Channel 12, confirmed that with the progress of the investigations, the story of the victim, which has become highly credible, is taking hold in the investigators.
One of them stressed that "with the passage of days and the collection of more evidence, this evidence unequivocally supports the story of the girl, which has a high degree of credibility."
He explained, "This entire case is based on the testimony of the victim, and this testimony is supported by the evidence we have gathered so far, the results we have reached, and other things."
The official pointed out that the police use "all means in the investigations, including electronic units and digital units."
Reports that quoted the initial news about the rape reported that at some point, “they (the suspects) started drinking alcohol, and after a while, the girl went to one of the rooms to use the toilet, and in that same room she was raped by dozens of boys and men who took turns assaulting her."
She indicated that one of the 27-year-old detainees, from northern Israel, was exchanging messages with the girl. The newspaper "Yediot Aharonot" reported that "in one of the letters, this person said that he had a video tape of the rape."