“Too often, we see the police fail to collect evidence, ask questions in a sensitive manner and lack the adequate training needed to deal with someone who survived sexual trauma,” said Vardit Avidan, a lawyer and staff member at the clinic, supported by The David Berg Foundation.
“As a result, women tend to leave a police station feeling even more defeated than before.”“I don't think the police operate this way out of malice: I think they have a lot of complaints to deal with, are stressed and short-staffed,” said Avidan.“There are also cities where there is less understanding and sensitivity to sexual assault," she said. "In many stations, there's no special officer designated for handling these cases, and I'm not even sure sexual assault cases are high on their priority list in general.”Avidan recommended that all stations have an officer who is experienced at handling sexual violence cases, and that police work with social workers in processing these cases. “They need officers who will understand that a woman coming to report a sexual assault incident is traumatized, stressed and is extremely vulnerable,” said Avidan.Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel CEO Orit Sulitzeanu also stated that a lack of trained personnel in the handling of sexual violence cases contributes to the mishandling of these cases.The fact that Israel does not have special units within the court system that handle the prosecution of cases of sexual assault is a major factor contributing to sexual violence in the country, Sulitzeanu told The Jerusalem Post in March. This lack of special units means that judges are often insensitive, blame victims, or treat cases with contempt – and that many cases never make it to a judge in the first place. “Some cases close because there is no system that understands sexual offenses,” she said.Israel police have been criticized by organizations combating sexual violence and rape culture, such as Jerusalem's branch of the SlutWalk organization. The word abandoned "highlights the treatment we get from the state: the victim-blaming that we encounter from police; the ease with which violent men are released back to their homes to continue to harm women; [and] authorities that release rapists and attackers – if they are punished at all," said the organization in a Facebook post.
Police mishandle treatment of sexual offense cases, victims - study
“Too often, we see the police fail to collect evidence, ask questions in a sensitive manner and lack the adequate training needed to deal with someone who survived sexual trauma.”
