Police in the North arrested a group of teenage boys this week on suspicion of having raped a 14-year-old girl repeatedly over the course of four years. Police believe the boys, aged 14-17, began raping, sodomizing and sexually molesting the girl from the time that she was 10.Some of the minors are also suspected of threatening and blackmailing her. The boys were arrested earlier this week, and were released to house arrest by an Afula Magistrate on Tuesday.An undercover investigation by Amakim police was launched after a report was filed by social welfare alleging severe sexual abuse spanning years. Some of the offenses were reportedly carried out in air raid shelters. Police, state prosecutors and social welfare services said they managed a sensitive investigation due to the ages of the alleged victim and suspects.Yaniv Avitan, an attorney representing three of the suspects, said the teenagers “gave a clear account to police,” adding that there was no further need to keep the youths in custody. According to the Ynet Web site, a number of the suspects’ parents denied their children had committed any offenses, and accused the girl of contacting their sons on the Internet. One parent said “it was illogical” for a group rape to go on for four years without anyone hearing about it.
