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Outgoing President Moshe Katsav leaving his home in Kiryat Malachi last week. (Limor Edrey)
Last update - 21:40 28/06/2007
President Katsav to resign after signing plea agreement on sex crimes
Katsav accuser: President turned me into sex slave
By Yuval Yoaz and Roni Singer-Heruti, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service

President's Residence employee A., the first woman to accuse outgoing president Moshe Katsav of rape almost a year ago, described Thursday her version of the alleged sexual assault perpetrated by the president against her, saying he had turned her into a sex slave.

Earlier Thursday, Katsav signed a plea agreement under which the rape charges against him will be dropped and he will serve no active jail time.

The accusations made by A. were dropped from the final indictment under the plea agreement.
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At a televised news conference after the deal was announced, A. insisted that the president raped her even after the planned rape charges were dropped, calling him a "pervert and serial sex offender" who "terrorized my body and my soul."

She expressed her outrage at the lenient plea bargain, saying that it gives "sex offenders license and legitimacy to do anything they want without being punished."

A. addressed victims of sexual violence and said "from my personal experience I am telling you: don't complain. Go to a psychologist, but don't go to the police. Especially if the attacker is a public figure."

The harassment she suffered worsened as she advanced into more senior positions at the President's Residence, A. said. From the very beginning of her time working under Katsav, he showered her with comments on her appearance and appeal such as "you're beautiful, you're sexy, I want to know you, I'm interested in you, your skirt is nice, your hair is nice, etc," she said.

She added that Katsav would have late night personal conversations with her telling her he was lonely. She asked to resign from her position under him, but after her resignation was rejected, she said, she gave in to pressures and stayed on.

A. described how after she was promoted, Katsav began exposing his genitals to her and asking her to touch him. In response, she said, "I lost my blood from top to bottom." She said his comments became more and more offensive as time went on.

A. told the media at the press conference that Katsav repeatedly raped her, and that she did not have the physical strength nor the mental ability to prevent these assaults. She said that after the first incident, she didn't come to work, and got threatening phone calls from the president. "He threatened to ruin my life," she said.

The plea bargain, under which the prosecution will request a suspended sentence for suspected crimes of a sexual nature, drew fire from Israel's leading women's organization Thursday, which said the deal "spits in the face" of his alleged victims.

"Katsav's plea bargain spits in the face of the women and conveys a lack of faith in the police and prosecution. It is an unambiguous message to women that makes complaints," said Talia Livni, the chairwoman of the Na'amat organization.

Under the terms of the agreement signed Thursday by Katsav, he will submit his resignation to Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik on Friday, and it will take effect 48 hours later.

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz announced the agreement in a press conference Thursday morning, saying an indictment would be filed against the president at Jerusalem Magistrates Court shortly after his resignation comes into effect Sunday.

According to Mazuz, the indictment will include one count of indecent assault, adding that the count is a "serious criminal charge." The president will also be charged with sexual harassment and harassing a witness.

"The president will plead guilty to three charges, and will receive a suspended sentence and be ordered to pay compensation to the complainants," said Mazuz, adding that most of the complaints against Katsav were deemed to be either too old or difficult to prove.

Mazuz said he believes the agreement was in the public's interest. "This agreement minimizes the harm to the institution of the presidency," said the attorney general. "It was important to spare Israel from seeing a president on trial."

"This agreement will encourage victims of crimes of a sexual nature to come forward," continued Mazuz. "Katsav will bear personal and public disgrace all his life."

Addressing public skepticism regarding the significant changes to the draft indictment, made in the wake of a special hearing in which Katsav was given an opportunity to respond to the charges, Mazuz said: "A hearing is not a technical matter. Often, cases are closed and indictments are altered following these hearings."

After the president steps down, his post will be officially assumed by Acting President Dalia Itzik, who has filled in for Katsav since he suspended himself in January in the wake of the decision in principle to indict him. Itzik will serve as president until President-elect Shimon Peres takes over July 15, as originally scheduled.

One of the complainants against Katsav petitioned the High Court of Justice on Thursday, asking it to delay the announcement of a plea agreement struck between the president and state prosecutors.

A., who worked at the President's Residence, argued in her petition that she is legally entitled to present a formal response to the plea agreement before it is officially announced. The court, however, refused to issue an injunction delaying Mazuz's press conference, instead choosing to schedule a hearing on the matter at a later date.

Katsav was accused of having twice raped a former Tourism Ministry employee while serving as tourism minister, and of forcibly hugging her and touching her leg, which is classified as indecent assault. The indictment includes an indecent assault charge, but Katsav will not be charged with using force - only with taking advantage of his position of authority, a lighter offense.

The indictment will also delete an indecent act charge against a President's Residence employee, while leaving intact a sexual harassment charge against another President's Residence employee.

Katsav associates said that he has not admitted to any form of touching that he considers to be sexual in nature, nor has he admitted to having sexual relations or conducting romances with any of his accusers.

About a month ago, the Justice Ministry and Katsav's lawyers said they were not considering a deal whereby the rape charges would be deleted in exchange for such a confession by Katsav. Indeed, the plea bargain was reached without the president's admission of any kind of relations with any of the complainants.

In addition, all charges relating to A., the President's Residence employee whose alleged attempted extortion of Katsav led to the investigation, have been dropped. The decision to do so was made by Mazuz, and has no connection to the plea bargain. A. had accused Katsav of having sex with her, entailing abuse of his position. Other charges involving her include nonconsensual indecent assault, indecent assault involving abuse of his position, and sexual harassment.

A. and her lawyer, along with the other complainants, were informed of the plea bargain Wednesday, as the prosecution is required to do by law.

Other charges not related to sexual offenses have also been removed from the indictment. The draft indictment had included charges of fraud and breach of trust, related to accusations that Katsav purchased dozens of silver goblets with President's Residence funds to distribute at private functions.
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  1.   MAZUZ` BLUNDERS:START WITH A,FIND FORGOTTEN GIRLS,DROP A,SET PLEA 03:55  |  VOICE))))) 28/06/07
  2.   Where is justice? 04:20  |  paul 28/06/07
  3.   what about marwan??we will trde you for 2 goats 04:45  |  mohammed 28/06/07
  4.   Paul? 05:07  |  David James Vickery 28/06/07
  5.   it could be that the victims are not jewish 05:12  |  nobodysacred 28/06/07
  6.   Katsav Is A Creep & Should Get Life Without Parole 05:48  |  Bob 28/06/07
  7.   David James Vickery 05:50  |  paul 28/06/07
  8.   Katsav Should Be Traded For Schalit 05:53  |  Bob 28/06/07
  9.   David? 06:00  |  Phil 28/06/07
  10.   Katsav Plea=Nonkosher 06:05  |  Bob 28/06/07
  11.   Where is justice? To Paul 06:06  |  Boruch 28/06/07
  12.   Please List my Responses 06:08  |  Bob 28/06/07
  13.   To David #4 06:10  |  Boruch 28/06/07
  14.   Boruch 06:32  |  paul 28/06/07
  15.   embarrassing 06:41  |  Ori 28/06/07
  16.   To Boruch 07:06  |  Wise Guy 28/06/07
  17.   Justic System - Shame on You - Serial Rapists goes free 07:11  |  Chaim 28/06/07
  18.   Miscarriage of justice 07:14  |  Outraged woman 28/06/07
  19.   Scandalous decision 07:15  |  DZ 28/06/07
  20.   Ramon vis a vis Katsav 07:32  |  eliyahu 28/06/07
  21.   IF FOUND GUILTY..KATSAV MUST GO TO JAIL! 07:36  |  Miriam 28/06/07
  22.   Kangaroo Courts give green light to rape 07:47  |  SJ 28/06/07
  23.   PLEA BARGAIN 07:58  |  JACK 28/06/07
  24.   Early morning Presidential message 07:59  |  Esther 28/06/07
  25.   God`s Chosen Rapist 08:01  |  Joe 28/06/07
  26.   Shame! 08:09  |  Yoel 28/06/07
  27.   Katsav - BOOSHA 08:22  |  ughh. 28/06/07
  28.   Another Ramon 08:29  |  Anat 28/06/07
  29.   Another priceless posting re our ex-Prez....... 08:32  |  Esther 28/06/07
  30.   To Paul 08:33  |  justice 28/06/07
  31.   Weak prosecution case 08:39  |  NP 28/06/07
  32.   shame on Katzav, shame on Israel 08:48  |  Michael cohen 28/06/07
  33.   Outrageous and disgusting 08:53  |  Moti 28/06/07
  34.   So the message to victims is "suffer in silence" 09:18  |  TW 28/06/07
  35.   Justice in Israel? It helps if you are a Jew and are President 09:19  |  Clickfool 28/06/07
  36.   Law and order, the Israeli way 09:22  |  Ronen 28/06/07
  37.   Perhaps the rape victim can now pursue a civil case 09:27  |  Clickfool 28/06/07
  38.   This is a plea bargain? Where`s the plea? 09:40  |  Former American 28/06/07
  39.   From another viewpoint 09:45  |  Big Al 28/06/07
  40.   Right on: Bob, DZ, Jack, SJ, ugh, and others... 09:48  |  Former American 28/06/07
  41.   Disgusting 09:48  |  Bill 28/06/07
  42.   Why do you think the skunk was allowed to get off, Big Al? #39 09:56  |  Clickfool 28/06/07
  43.   More hilarious news re ex-Pres 10:02  |  Esther 28/06/07
  44.   KATSAV PLEA BARGAIN 10:06  |  Barbara 28/06/07
  45.   Modesty in Dress & Action 10:06  |  Steve 28/06/07
  46.   To Outraged Woman 10:16  |  Former American 28/06/07
  47.   charges conveniently dropped now that Peres is President 10:17  |  Susan 28/06/07
  48.   Another Slap In the Face 10:24  |  Carole 28/06/07
  49.   To Clickfool 10:27  |  Big Al 28/06/07
  50.   For Steve in Illinois, Israel # 45 10:27  |  Clickfool 28/06/07
  51.   Above the law. 10:29  |  Colin 28/06/07
  52.   The rise and fall of Israel 10:33  |  Jecheskel 28/06/07
  53.   NO NATIONAL SOUL, ISRAEL NEED WASH HER FACE 10:35  |  Atilla Liman 28/06/07
  54.   For Skokie #45 10:35  |  Esther 28/06/07
  55.   Who leaked this news 10:36  |  NP 28/06/07
  56.   CFOOL whats this got to do with you? Brit.justice perfect? Arab - 10:39  |  PETER SM 28/06/07
  57.   The verdict will be more perverted than the act itself!!! 10:41  |  Tom Smitsloo 28/06/07
  58.   Response to Modesty in Dress... 10:44  |  distressed 28/06/07
  59.   Now we have our own OJ Simpson story 10:50  |  Daniel 28/06/07
  60.   We are too narrow-minded ..... 10:54  |  Esther 28/06/07
  61.   CLOSE THE RELIGION WAY, ITS TIME UP, TODAY 10:58  |  Atilla Liman 28/06/07
  62.   World is bad, needs Jewish help, WHO CARES ? 11:02  |  Atilla Liman 28/06/07
  63.   #44 now COME ON BARBARA !! 11:11  |  paul harris 28/06/07
  64.   For Atilla Liman # 62 11:13  |  Clickfool 28/06/07
  65.   For Esther # 60 11:17  |  Clickfool 28/06/07
  66.   Maybe he did not do it 11:19  |  Lisa 28/06/07
  67.   YOU DONT BELONG TO YOURSELF (last post) 11:22  |  Atilla Liman 28/06/07
  68.   when you are rich/famous/connected 11:31  |  Mike 28/06/07
  69.