Rehab clinic employee arrested for allegedly raping patient

Police on Tuesday arrested an employee at a rehabilitation clinic in Holon suspected of raping a mentally disabled female patient on multiple occasions.

Another patient who had witnessed the employee forcing the victim to have sexual relations submitted a complaint to a social worker at the clinic earlier this week, who passed the information to police investigators.

Police suspect that the employee, a 47-year-old Holon resident, led the victim to a clinic stockroom on numerous occasions where he then raped her.

On one occasion the suspect bumped into another patient after exiting the stockroom with the victim, said Police Chief Irit Amar, who heads the sex crimes division of the Rishon Letzion police department.

When asked by the patient what he had been doing, the suspect said it was not what it looked like and tried to convince the witness not to report what he had seen.

The victim, a woman in her twenties, at first denied that the rapes took place, but eventually admitted to the police that the employee had repeatedly taken her to the stockroom, lift up her skirt and forcibly rape her.

"She told us about the events and explained that he used force. In addition, she stated that on multiple occasions he made unwanted advances and harassed and touched her, even though she would scream and protest," Amar said.

The employee has denied all accusations against him.

The Holon clinic treats patients suffering from physical limitations and mild mental disabilities. Patients undergo rehabilitation exercises meant to develop their independence and abilities to cope alone in society.