Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Monday announced that he would not appeal a district court verdict that upheld former Justice Minister Haim Ramon's sexual assault conviction, but exonerated him of moral turpitude, paving the way for him to return to public service.

Ramon was convicted in January of kissing a female soldier against her will, and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service.

Mazuz's aide sent letters to the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel and other organizations who demanded that Mazuz appeal the verdict, saying "The prosecution's stance on this matter is that the court must determine that moral turpitude accompanied the commission of the crime, and the court did not accept that such was the case. After examining the facts, and after Ramon did not appeal his conviction, we came to the conclusion that, in light of all the circumstances, there is no need for the state to submit an appeal."

	Advertisement

After Mazuz announced his decision, the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel expressed its dissatisfaction with the decision, and proclaimed that the crime committed involved moral turpitude. "There is no sex crime devoid of moral turpitude, if there is no moral turpitude, there is no crime. It appears that [Mazuz's] decision deals a heavy blow to the public's faith in the legal system, as the fact that there is no moral turpitude attached to such a severe crime forms a question mark for the public, and it resonates over the justice system."


Related articles: