The Justice Ministry issued a statement Wednesday confirming that it had been holding secret negotiations with the defense team of outgoing president Moshe Katsav over the last month, in efforts to formulate a plea bargain surrounding the rape charges he is facing.

Katsav suspended himself from the post of president after he was accused of rape.

Channel 10 news reported Wednesday that the plea bargain would entail a revision of the charges, removing the rape clause and replacing it with lesser sex crimes. The charges would remain serious, but the rape charge is apparently the count that Katsav's lawyers fear most.

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According to Channel 10, the plea bargain would stipulate that Katsav confess to having intimate relations with at least one of the complainants against him.

One of the complainants and her lawyer entered into a meeting with the defense team at the Justice Ministry on Wednesday, Channel 10 reported, apparently in order to exercise her legal right to express her opinion on the plea bargain before it is finalized.

Head of the women's lobby Rina Bar-Tal said Wednesday that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz would likely reject this sort of plea bargain. "A plea bargain would send out an appalling message to the public that would reduce the severity of the sexual assault of women. This could jeopardize many years of battles for women's rights over their bodies, their freedom and their honor."

Assistance centers for victims of sexual violence also voiced concern over the reported plea bargain, Israel Radio reported late Wednesday. They said that in the future, victims might be hesitant to prosecute their assailants, thinking that the perpetrators won't be punished anyway.

At the beginning of May, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's office sent a letter to Katsav's defense team offering the defendant an opportunity to amend his testimony. Katsav had insisted since the beginning of the investigation that he had had no sexual contact with any of the complainants, be it forced or consensual. Katsav's lawyers responded that the accused is not interested in changing his testimony, and maintains that there had been no relationship between himself and the complainants.

The allegations against Katsav first surfaced almost a year ago. In January, Mazuz released a preliminary draft of the indictment, which included charges of sexual harassment, forceful indecent act, and utilizing his position to obtain sex. In April, Mazuz announced the addition of the rape charge to the draft.