ANALYSIS / Credibility of alleged rape victims led to indictment

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision, which was made after consultations with State Prosecutor Moshe Lador, makes clear that an indictment will be served against former president Moshe Katsav on charges of sex offenses, including rape, he allegedly committed against a number of workers.

This offense is the most serious of all sex-related crimes in Israeli jurisprudence, and the maximum penalty in the event of conviction is 16 years in prison.

The announcement is far less detailed than the recent charges filed against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. It makes do with the reasoning behind the indictment, which was based on what prosecutors felt was a credible statement given by the alleged victims and on the "sufficient evidentiary foundation" behind the charges.

The criteria for an indictment used in this case is the same one spelled out in a Supreme Court ruling which states that charges are to be brought against a suspect if the prosecutor is convinced of a "reasonable chance for a conviction." One may assume that the state is certain they possess sufficient evidence to prove the charges. Otherwise, the case would not have been resubmitted to the court.

Due to the severity of the crimes, the former president's trial will be heard before a three-judge panel in Jerusalem District Court. Since Katsav was already granted the right to a pre-trial hearing, there is no need to hold an additional hearing. The trial could thus be heard in court soon. Mazuz's decision closes a chapter that dragged on for two-and-a-half years.