Could an almost 12 year old be mistaken for a 16 year old? It’s a shame her attempts of seduction (or so they claim) worked.
JERUSALEM—It’s being described as the worst sexual abuse scandal in the army’s history.
At least 17 Israeli soldiers are under investigation in the statutory rape of an 11-year-old girl who lived with her family on an air force base in southern Israel.
Defence lawyers say the girl lied to the soldiers about her age, claiming she was older, and the sex was consensual.
The case marks a new low for the military, once Israel’s most revered institution but tarnished in recent years by financial corruption and sexual misconduct.
According to limited details released by the military yesterday, at least 17 Israeli air force soldiers have been investigated and several others are likely to be called in.
The girl lived with her family on the base where her father, a career military man, served.
The family has since left the base and the girl is under psychological care, the army said.
According to media reports, the girl, now 14, told military investigators the sex was consensual and she had lied to the soldiers about her age. Some soldiers involved told investigators the girl claimed to be 16, and they had no idea she had yet to reach her 12th birthday.
One of the suspects told the Maariv daily the girl initiated the sexual encounters. The army has been investigating the case since March and charges are expected to be filed soon against the soldiers. The army has issued a gag order on all other details related to the case.
almost unimaginable, a Muslim serving in Israeli army.
