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Last update - 04:06 28/11/2008 Think tank: 20 percent of Israeli prisoners jailed for domestic violence By Shahar Ilan Tags: convicts, prison, crime  One-fifth of Israel's civilian prisoners were arrested on charges of domestic violence, a Knesset think tank found after examining data from the Prison Service. About 400 prisoners behind bars for domestic violence had been jailed five or more previous times, although not all previous convictions were for domestic violence, according to the Knesset's Research and Information Center. In early November, over 1,800 prisoners were serving domestic-violence sentences, including 116 convicted of incest. Half of the domestic-violence sentences were between one and five years, though 129 prisoners are serving life sentences for these offenses. More than 60 percent of domestic-violence detainees have been convicted and jailed for previous domestic-violence offenses. More than 90 percent of domestic-violence prisoners released in 2008 had not qualified for parole. Advertisement There were almost 900 sex offenders in Israeli prisons in early November, a little over 10 percent of the prison population. In the first 10 months of this year, 10 women were murdered by their domestic partners, according to police figures included in the document. This may turn out to be a slight drop from 2007, in which 13 women were killed by partners over the entire year, while one woman was killed in a "family honor" incident. The 614 rape complaints in the first 10 months of the year also constitute a slight drop from the 640 complaints in the same period last year. The police open nearly 15,000 domestic-violence cases every year, most of which are closed for lack of evidence or lack of public interest. The number of partner-violence cases that reach the court system is dropping steadily from 3,000 in 2004 to just 1,850 last year. However, domestic-violence victims continue to request around 600 protective injunctions annually. Nonetheless, only a quarter of men who violate these injunctions are arrested, or about 140 a year. Meretz faction leader Zahava Gal-On is sponsoring legislation that would establish a dedicated jail for men who violate these injunctions, explaining that "these injunctions are not worth the paper they are printed on and women must be protected from partner terror." Figures released by the Social Affairs Ministry revealed that 685 women and 1,035 children spent time in battered-women's shelters in 2007. Only 35 percent of those women were native Jewish-Israeli citizens. Twenty-nine percent of them were immigrants from the former Soviet Union, while 34 percent were from the Arab community. There were also 33 women in shelters who were illegal residents. About 2,100 teenage girls were treated by social services in 2007, victims of rape, incest and other sex offenses. This represents a 27 percent increase over 2006. There was also a sharp increase last year in sexual-harassment complaints filed with the police, up 30 percent to 250, from the preceding year's 190. These figures are likely to increase substantially this year, with 250 sexual-harassment reports filed by the end of October, a pace of 300 annually. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Boycotting Wagner The composer's works will remain a sensitive topic in Israel for many years. Bound for Gaza The Libyan ship is the most notable attempt yet to break the Gaza blockade.   1.   There are consequences for a state that practises brutality 10:13  |  Clickfool 28/11/08   2.   #1 Clickfool - You are correct, there is a link! 13:21  |  Manny Goldstein 28/11/08   3.   # 2-There are consequences for a state that practises brutality 15:59  |  Jorge 28/11/08   4.   The Unresolved Conflict 16:23  |  Edithann 28/11/08   5.   This is good news 16:30  |  Arthur Franklin 28/11/08   6.   sadly, probably nothing to to with military service 18:07  |  jay 28/11/08   7.   Violence Spinning 19:24  |  Jasper 28/11/08   8.   Problem: Not enough "nooky" in Israel 20:40  |  Aram 28/11/08   9.   HMMMM...interesting.... 20:40  |  froike 28/11/08   10.   How many are Arabs/Palestinians? 21:26  |  Bennie 28/11/08   11.   Clickfool---some history 21:35  |  Ronit 28/11/08   12.   Israel, Stop paying lip service to this problem! 23:08  |  Aram 28/11/08   13.   Re#4 01:03  |  Steve J 29/11/08   14.   Ronit 01:13  |  Steve J 29/11/08   15.   Where is... 02:27  |  Maureen Ann 29/11/08   16.   #1 clickFOOL Yes there are consequences for violence 06:17  |  Pastor Joseph 29/11/08   17.   #11 Ronit...clickFOOL history is within the 06:21  |  Pastor Joseph 29/11/08   18.   ronit 11 10:33  |  potobac 29/11/08   19.   Whether you like it or not 03:40  |  Al khansa 02/12/08

Read & React Amos Harel: After Mumbai, the war against terror has changed Responses: 58 EU document on Israel, Mideast: Re-open Orient House Responses: 256 Anshel Pfeffer: Israel, stop offending India over Mumbai Responses: 68 Pope praises Nazi-era pontiff accused of Shoah inaction Responses: 66 Israeli Opera to uphold Wagner ban over Nazi link Responses: 51 More Headlines 02:57 Bodies of Mumbai terror victims arrive in Israel 03:12 Foreign Ministry: Israel won't provide security for Chabad abroad 03:34 Obama mulls ex-ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, as special Mideast envoy 03:49 Far-right anti-Zionist rabbi plans to run for Knesset seat 04:04 Czech foreign minister to Haaretz: Armed action against Iran would be 'catastrophe' 04:11 'Sex and the City' creator Darren Star explains what makes or breaks a show 04:16 YouTube's new Israel home page offers insight into local viewers 04:32 Israeli troops kill 'wanted' Palestinian during raid in Nablus 23:09 Hamas tells Haaretz journalist Amira Hass to leave Gaza 00:15 Olmert: I'm convinced Hillary Clinton will advance Israel-U.S. relations 01:07 Parents of Mumbai terror victim: We may take Rivka's place as Chabad envoys 21:43 Olmert offers condolences to Indian PM over Mumbai deaths 00:56 Fetus kept in formaldehyde for 11 years found in Jerusalem 21:45 Bush: My biggest regret is false intelligence on Iraq WMDs 21:45 Iran dismisses Israeli military threats as 'psychological warfare' 14:29 Body of Israeli Omri Kidron found 5 months after he disappeared in China 02:32 Five Palestinians hurt in clashes with settlers in Hebron Previous Editions Select Day 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov

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