Former Jerusalem Police Chief indicted on sex crimes charges

8 different female officers accused Nisso Shaham of exploiting his senior position to carry out sexual relations with them.

By BEN HARTMAN
Nisso Shacham 390 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Nisso Shacham 390
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
The Justice Ministry’s police investigatory committee on Monday indicted former Jerusalem police chief Asst.-Ch. Nisso Shaham on charges of sexual assault, sexual harassment, fraud and breach of trust.
The case deals with allegations made by eight different female police officers, who accused Shaham of exploiting his senior position to carry out sexual relations with them – including acts that were against their will – and that he also sexually harassed a number of them.
The indictment says that while he was a senior officer, Shaham “formed intimate connections of a sexual nature with young female officers who worked under him, most of them low-ranking and much younger than him, in violation of his obligations as a public employee and a senior police officer.”
The indictment also states that at the same time, Shaham made decisions relating to the promotion or career status of the same eight women, which it called a direct conflict of interest. Some of these decisions included granting them leaves of absence to study and transfers to better or more desirable jobs in the organization. Some of the women who came to Shaham were in economic distress at the time, the indictment said.
The sexual incidents took place in Shaham’s car and at police buildings, as well as at his house and his mother’s house, in addition to other locations.
In July 2012, following an undercover operation by the Justice Ministry, Shaham was questioned under caution, and in November 2012 he was informed that the ministry was weighing an indictment against him.
In August 2012, Shaham resigned from his post as head of Jerusalem police and went on forced administrative leave, when the allegations were first made public, following a request by National police chief Insp.-Gen. Yochanan Danino. He was replaced by then Southern District chief Asst.-Ch. Yossi Prienti.
The national police spokesman’s department said Monday they had received the indictment and had transferred it to their legal department.
They added that when they come to a conclusion, Danino will make a decision on the matter.