A senior policeman from the Judea and Samaria district sexually harassed a woman over a period of months
via phone calls, the Justice Ministry’s Police Investigations Department said
Monday.
According to an indictment filed on Monday,
Dep.-Cmdr. Marc Amiel, of the Investigations Department of the Ariel
Police Station, made dozens of calls to a woman found to possess drugs for
personal use, and failed to notify her that her case was closed.
The
woman’s home was searched by police in August 2010 and found to contain a small
quantity of drugs. She was detained for questioning and admitted to using drugs
for medical purposes.
Police released the woman after questioning, and
within a few weeks, Amiel closed the case against her. However, he allegedly did
not notify her of the closure as required by protocol, the charge sheet
said.
What allegedly came next was a series of sexual offers made over
the phone.
“The accused allegedly called the woman, presented himself as
an officer, and said her case was before him pending a decision. He asked her to
arrive at the station with documents on her medical and physical condition,” the
charge sheet said.
The woman complied, and began telling her difficult
life story to the officer, while breaking down in tears. He allegedly promised
to close her case.
In the following four months, Amiel allegedly called
the woman dozens of times from his office and personal cellphone, and told her
she was depressed because of lack of sex, while offering to “ease her
suffering.”
The woman rejected the offers, saying she was interested in a
friendship instead, but that allegedly did not stop barrage of alleged sexual
offers.
“The accused misused his authority as a policeman, and breached
public trust,” the indictment said.