Police close child rape probe in Modi’in Illit

Judea and Samaria district police announce case closed after reaching conclusion that original complainant gave false testimony.

By BEN HARTMAN
modiin ilit 224 88 (photo credit: Tovah Lazaroff)
modiin ilit 224 88
(photo credit: Tovah Lazaroff)
Police closed a child rape investigation in Modi’in Illit that ignited a media storm, after reaching the conclusion that the original complainant gave false testimony, Judea and Samaria district police announced on Sunday.
The complainant, a kindergarten supervisor in the haredi city, had already recanted her testimony on at least one occasion, casting doubt on whether or not the alleged rape of a 5-year-old local girl took place.
District spokesman Dudi Ashraf said police are weighing the possibility of pursuing criminal charges against the complainant.
A week and a half ago, the supervisor told Channel 2 that she made the story up, saying she did so because she doesn’t feel that police take sexual abuse complaints in the community seriously enough.
Until Sunday, police had questioned a large number of local residents and communal leaders, and the story had ignited a public debate about allegations that sexual abuse complaints are hushed up in the haredi community.