Rishon Letzion: English teacher abused elementary school students, police say

The teacher, a resident of Tel Aviv, has denied the allegations against him.

By BEN HARTMAN
Updated: DECEMBER 8, 2015 03:55
Empty Classroom (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Empty Classroom
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Shfela subdistrict police on Sunday arrested a 64-year-old English teacher employed at an elementary school in Rishon Lezion, suspected of sexually assaulting and striking students, as well as subjecting them to verbal abuse.
Police said Monday that they have so far recorded complaints from two children, aged 10 and 11, who said they endured such alleged abuse from the teacher.
The investigation was opened after one of the parents of the students contacted the police. The verbal abuse, including insults and name-calling, was allegedly made in class in front of other students, police said.
The sexual abuse is suspected of having included fondling and exposing himself to students.
The teacher, a resident of Tel Aviv, has denied the allegations against him.
The teacher’s lawyer, Dima Bernstein, said Monday that his client has denied the allegations against him and that “this is a teacher with more than 20 years of experience who says he has never received a single complaint about his behavior.”
In an unrelated case, a man from southern Israel was indicted last week on charges of sexual assault, after he allegedly posed as an IDF officer in order to sexually assault students during “pre-draft interviews” for the army.
The suspect, 21-year-old Amit Amsili, allegedly carried out the assaults at the victims’ houses after arranging to meet them for private interviews.
Judea and Samaria District police also announced last week that they arrested a 55-year-old bus driver from Kalansuwa after he allegedly sexually assaulted at least 15 schoolgirls aged 10 to 11 years old. Police said they suspect that the man would call students to the front of the bus on the intercom, and then fondle them. Police said he would tell them his name was Yossi in order to get closer to them and not have them suspect that he was an Arab.