Ultra-Orthodox publicist sentenced to 17 years in prison for rape

First he complimented his victims, then he continued by making more flagrant and sexual remarks, until he finally raped them in the office bathroom against their will.

By SARAH CHEMLA
Mati Ben David is brought to the Jerusalem District Court In Jerusalem on July 2, 2017 (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Mati Ben David is brought to the Jerusalem District Court In Jerusalem on July 2, 2017
(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Matti Ben-David, an ultra-Orthodox director of a Jerusalem-based advertising agency, was sentenced on Sunday to 17 years in prison for sexual assault against six ultra-Orthodox women he employed, according to Ynet.
In addition to the prison sentence, Ben-David was ordered to pay NIS 470,000 in compensation to the complainants.
The Jerusalem District Court convicted him on charges of rape, sodomy and indecent acts on six of his employees, against their will, Ynet reported.
According to the court verdict, Ben-David was corresponding with his victims through the company's internal messaging system.
His strategy was solidly established: First he complimented his victims, then he continued by making more flagrant and sexual remarks, until he finally raped them in the office bathroom against their will.
The police also reported at the time of the arrest that he sometimes sent his victims back home, knowing they would be there alone, and then afterwards followed to rape them.
The assaults would also include extortion and threats.
The court ruling stated that whenever he encountered a refusal or objection from his victims, he humiliated them, yelled at them and ignored them altogether, even when it came to work matters.
Furthermore, Ben-David took advantage of his victims' ultra-Orthodox affiliation.
He threatened to expose the sexual nature of their relationship to their husbands and rabbis in their community, claiming that they had initiated everything. Not only that, he emphasized to them how revealing the sexual assault could hurt their families and communities, but he could emerge from any scandal unharmed thanks to his lawyers and money.
Justices Rafi Carmel, Aryeh Romanov and Shirley Renner stated that "the suspect planned his actions step by step and was aware of his actions. Because in the ultra-Orthodox community, sexual relations cannot be done with someone who is not a spouse, [the sexual nature of the assault] served as leverage to intimidate and silence the victims."
Attorney Lizo Wolfus of the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office said that "the court accepted the prosecution's position and sentenced the suspect to a lengthy prison sentence for exploiting his professional power, authority and status to harm his victims in his office, against their will, for years."
Wolfus noted that "the prosecution seeks to empower the complainants who dared to testify to the severe injury they suffered for many years in their workplace, which caused them scars on their body and soul and will continue to affect the course of their lives for many years to come."
Rebecca Schwartz, the lawyer representing the complainants on behalf of the organization "From the Straits," said that "The court has had its say. There is no joy or calm [for the victims], their personal situations are difficult. It is an injury that has no cure. But justice is done, and their message is that no one can touch you without your consent."


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