The Board of Pardons on Monday granted an early release to actor Hanan
Goldblatt, a convicted rapist and serial molester, according to media
reports.
His actual release was delayed by one week to allow the
prosecution time to petition the High Court of Justice to block the release,
said the reports.
Goldblatt has only served four years of a six-year
sentence, which was originally a seven-year sentence.
According to
reports, the Board of Pardons appeared to have granted the early release based
on good behavior and Goldblatt’s participation in rehabilitation
programs.
In 2011, the Supreme Court had reduced his sentence from seven
to six years.
Dismissing dozens of motions by the former television
star’s lawyers to appeal, Justice Uzi Vogelman decided in the end to reduce one
of the charges for which Goldblatt was convicted from rape to obtaining a thing
by deceit.
In 2008, the Tel Aviv District Court convicted Goldblatt of
raping two young women and of committing indecent acts against three others. In
all of the cases, Goldblatt, who also worked as an drama teacher, used a similar
method of offering the young women private acting lessons, during which he
attempted to commit – and in two cases succeeded in committing – sexual acts
with them.
Goldblatt made up a story that he wanted to have them try out
for a fictitious theatrical project of some sort. In each case, the victim was
to play a young seductress.
Sex with Goldblatt was supposed to better
prepare the aspiring actresses for onscreen love scenes, which the women were
supposed to perform in their auditions.