The Israeli Independent Public - Abstract of the Inquiry Report - December 2021

In this context, many survivors mentioned feeling insulted by the short sentences given to their perpetrators and raised the urgent need to increase the severity of punishments. “Of course, the encounter with the police was very tough. I didn’t have to testify in court because he confessed to most of the things. And of course, in a country like ours, the trial lasted a year, at the end of which he got nine months of community service, which he also managed to get out of.” “More rigorous legislation and enforcement, without attempts of the State Attorney’s Office to reach ridiculous plea bargains.” Finally, it is impossible to overstate the central importance of a trauma informed justice system , meaning training for professionals in the legal field: one of the main recommendations of the Berliner Committee was to train legal staff regarding trauma and its impact on the victim. This recommendation is clearly reflected in the testimony submitted to the inquiry: “In terms of legislation, I think the subject of symptoms should appear in the law. There’s the problem of evidence, and the mental health issues caused by the abuse damage the victim’s credibility. Another thing is that I think that the police should have more understanding of psychology, what condition the plaintiff arrives in, is she able to speak.” “Training for judges is a good and important thing! They should come to know us beyond the papers, beyond the testimony… they should understand that just because someone is hospitalized in a psychiatric ward following sexual abuse, that doesn’t mean her judgment and cognition are faulty and that just because of the hospitalization, she can’t be believed.” “The court, too – they should explain to the child that what’s been done to him is wrong, and that he has rights, and that he’ll get the support he needs to have those rights realized.”

The Israeli Independent Public Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

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