chicah

Israel's president Moshe Katsav (60) is facing possible rape charges of raping a previous female employee in the president staff.
The case has circulated in Israel over the past two months, and today the charges towards the president became a bit more formal when it was known that the police showed up with a warrant to search the presidents home in Jerusalem yesterday evening - Israeli radio reports today that the police has confiscated computers and documents during the search, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. One of the computers is in use in the president's office. The president will be interrogated at wednesday.
Last week, justice minister Haim Ramon (56) got in trouble when he was reported by an 18-year old female soldier who claimed Haim kissed her against her will.

Israeli law defines rape as intimate conditions where the woman does not have control of her own will.

Israeli medies have no information about the age of the woman who accuses Katsav of rape, or what function she had when she worked for the president.

Lexis

Nice to see the accusations are taken seriously. In so many countries, rape is not.

chicah

Yes, but of course it could also be that the woman just made it up to get attention. But rape...? Make up you had sex with people to get attention and money from the media is quite normal these days, but rape... :/

goodnightboy

It just makes you wonder, why can't men keep it in their pants?

But true - so often rape accusations are brushed aside, or not reported - it's a serious crime, and should be treated as such.

Moderate Bill

That seems like a broad definition. 50-60 years ago here in Canada, rape was defined as "any moment that a woman under the age of 18 was alone with a man without her father's consent." Many young men were accused of rape simply for going for a drive with their girlfriends.

That's the double-edged sword of a broad rape definition. On the plus side, it prevents sleazies from getting off on a technicality. The down side is that it makes it slightly easier for people to use the accusation as vengeance.

TheAngel

Up until 2004 oral sex was illegal in the US because it was considered sodemy, but Lawrance V. Texas overturned it. The thing is, there are a number of sexual laws that are outdated but at the same time, there are a number of sexual laws that no one really know about. But in cases like rape, definitions need to be clear so that women and men know their rights. I'm also willing to bet that there are a number of men that are raped but that don't report it because it's considered an insult to masculanity and because of male related stereotypes. I also know there are a lot of women that claim rape when they're trying to get back at jerk ex-boyfriends or bad one night stands.

chicah

I guess. I haven't really seen anymore of this case, I guess the charges were dropped. Like they wouldn't be anyway, he's the president after all. He makes the rules.

marina86

Actually, there's still an investigation going on..

I think something's fishy with this case though..

Moderate Bill

Not really. He doesn't really have any actual powers. Alot of countries have a leader of government who does the actual work, and a head of state, who usually ends up being a figurehead. For example, here in Canada we have our govt. leader, the Prime Minister (currently Stephen Harper of the Conservative party) and our head of state is the freakin' Queen of freakin' England! While she is our head of state, she has nothing to do with our government descisions, I can assure you!

Israel has about the same makeup: Prime Minister (Olhmert) works with the knesset (Israeli parliament/congress type thing) to make government policy, while the president signs things and looks pretty.


Besides, Israel has the rule of law! even the president can't get away with stuff like that!