Three sisters from Bnei Brak reportedly underwent daily, systematic sexual abuse at the hands of their father over the past five years, it emerged on Sunday after the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court lifted a gag order on the case. The father, who ran from police, was found hiding in Mea Shearim.
Police: Father of 12 regularly sexually assaulted daughters
Two of the man's teenage sons were indicted for allegedly beating and threatening one of the sisters in attempt to silence her complaint.
By BEN HARTMAN • Jerusalem Post
Three sisters from Bnei Brak reportedly underwent daily, systematic sexual abuse at the hands of their father over the past five years, it emerged on Sunday after the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court lifted a gag order on the case.
The father of twelve is accused of sexual molesting all three sisters, aged 14, 16, and 17. Two of his sons, aged 15 and 19, are suspected of helping their father carry out his alleged reign of terror by beating and threatening their sisters in an attempt to prevent them from talking to police. Last week, both sons were indicted by the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on charges of obstructing justice.
The abuse came to light by accident during a routine drug search of an apartment in Bnei Brak about a month ago. During the raid, police found a 14-year-old girl who said she was a friend of the teenage suspect who lived in the house. Police said the girl was acting strange and during questioning admitted that she had run away from home months earlier, following repeated sexual abuse by her father. A number of the sexual assaults reportedly took place at a hotel in south Tel Aviv which the father would allegedly rent in order to carry out the assaults.
Shortly after his daughter made the allegation to police, investigators called the father in for questioning but he did not respond and was nowhere to be found. Last week, Jerusalem police managed to find the father, in an apartment in the Meah Shearim neighborhood where he had been hiding out.
Police said that after the father was called for a police investigation the two brothers tried to track down their sister in order to beat her into and prevent her from testifying. They also reportedly went to her friend’s house and beat and threatened him demanding he give them her whereabouts.
On Sunday, the father’s remand was extended by an additional three days. Police say they expect an indictment to be issued against him in the coming week.
[Hat Tip: Chatz.]