Senior police officer questioned for sexual harassment, indecent acts allegations

The allegations are that the officer sexually harassed and committed indecent sexual acts against a lower level policewoman who needed his help, using his seniority to take advantage of her.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB, BEN HARTMAN
Israel Police logo (photo credit: Courtesy)
Israel Police logo
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Justice Ministry Police Investigations Department announced on Monday that a senior officer was questioned overnight over sexual harassment and indecent sexual acts allegations.
The allegations are that the officer sexually harassed and committed indecent sexual acts against a lower level policewoman who needed his help, using his seniority to take advantage of her.
The same officer was also questioned about possible sexual harassment of other female police officers and about allegations that he obstructed justice and destroyed evidence.
Those allegations say that immediately after receiving a telephone call from the head of PID, he began trying to cover-up his crimes.
The PID statement said that the investigation was opened on referral by another high-ranking police officer who learned of the allegations and "fulfilled his duty" by reporting the suspect to PID.
The senior officer has been released to house arrest for a five day-period, after which his situation will be reevaluated pending the investigation.
If the senior officer resigns, he will be the 7th officer with the rank of Deputy Commissioner to resign in a little over a year.
In October 2013, then Jerusalem District Chief Nisso Shaham resigned after he was indicted for sex crimes against female officers who worked under him. A few months later, former Northern District Commander Roni Atia resigned after a State Comptroller’s report found fault with his handling of the 2009 Carmel Forest Fire. The next month, Menashe Arbiv, head of the elite serious crimes unit LAHAV 433, resigned in a highly-publicized scandal involving suspicions he accepted bribes from Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, in exchange for information about a police case against him. Bruno Stein, former commander of the Central District, resigned in September 2014 after pictures were published by Haaretz of him at a private event held by Attorney Ronald Fisher, at the time the main suspect in a major bribery case. Yossi Pariente, the head of the Jerusalem District Police, resigned the same month due to unnamed “personal reasons” and finally, on Saturday, police announced that Judea and Samaria District Commander Kobi Cohen was leaving his post amid suspicion he carried out a relationship of a sexual nature with a female police officer.