Psalms teacher gets 23 years for sexually assaulting children - Haaretz

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Thu., January 03, 2008 Tevet 25, 5768

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Comments: 18

Last update - 08:39 02/01/2008

Psalms teacher gets 23 years for sexually assaulting children

By Ofra Edelman, Haaretz Correspondent

Tags: court, Teacher, Haredi

A 30-year-old Psalms instructor from Jaffa was sentenced Tuesday to 23 years in prison for sexually assaulting 10 children aged 8 to 13 who were under his care. He must also pay compensation totaling NIS 100,000.

The Tel Aviv District Court also handed down a two-year suspended sentence for sodomy and indecent acts.

"People like this need to be kept away from society, and for a long time, so that they don't, God forbid, harm the helpless again," the court said.

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It said the instructor exploited his position to carry out the "ugly, despicable, contemptible, grave" acts against helpless children "who were forced to be humiliated, to experience serious degradation and to keep their secret from
their parents."

The court rejected the instructor's request for a gag order banning publication of his name, but ordered a three-day delay in publication to allow for an appeal.

The judges rejected the defense attorney's request for a reduced sentence, saying that his lack of a criminal record and his contrition for his actions were not sufficient to
cut his jail time. The defense attorney also said his client was suffering from suicidal thoughts and had attempted to kill himself while in custody.

All the same, the court did not hand down the maximum 25-year sentence, as the prosecution had requested. It said it hoped to leave a glimmer of light that could "constitute motivation to receive treatment in jail and provide hope for his rehabilitation."

The court said it recognized the effect the offenses could have on the victims, saying that although it received reports of only two victims requiring psychological treatment, it does not need expert opinions to know that the children have been severely damaged.

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1.	Should have received 119, only eligible for parole after 23rd yr	02:21	\|	Virginia	02/01/08

2.	10,000 Non Haredim in Prison for Molestations	02:27	\|	Simon	02/01/08

3.	Haaretz`s Anti Jewish hatread is a knwon fact. They should start	02:40	\|	Robin	02/01/08

4.	Haredi or Not. Of course more seculars than observants.	04:07	\|	Yosef	02/01/08

5.	What is new?	04:22	\|	Mark Lincoln	02/01/08

6.	Psalms teacher gets 23 years for sexually assaulting children	05:06	\|	bernardfelix	02/01/08

7.	To #2, 3	09:01	\|	David	02/01/08

8.	Prosecution of Pedophiles	09:08	\|	MR	02/01/08

9.	A haredi teacher from Jaffa?	09:27	\|	HH	02/01/08

10.	Good news, abusers should be locked up for long time	10:05	\|	Benjamina	02/01/08

11.	Shame that the old toad Katsav had to resign	10:17	\|	Clickfool	02/01/08

12.	The Facts	10:33	\|	Sam	02/01/08

13.	# 3 Shame on you!	11:26	\|	A.M	02/01/08

14.	10000? Exactly? not 10001 àr 10002? #2	11:34	\|	A.M	02/01/08

15.	Finally	13:10	\|	TW	02/01/08

16.	Who said haredi?	13:30	\|	Oren Levi	02/01/08

17.	To Klickphool	15:27	\|	Iskander	02/01/08

18.	Anger	03:05	\|	Sharon	03/01/08

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