Prosecution: Katsav regarded workers as sex objects
Prosecution, defense's summary in former president's rape case cleared for publication. Prosecution claims Katsav used his position to carry out 'acts of clearly sexual nature on various levels of severity', says women 'feared for their jobs,' which affected their ability to resist. Meanwhile, defense claims Katsav being 'demonized'
Former President Moshe Katsav, who has been charged with rape, indecent acts and sexual assault "regarded the women working under him as a reserve from which he would select sexual objects," the prosecution said. The Tel Aviv District Court cleared the prosecution and defense's summaries for publication on Tuesday.
The prosecution argued that the former president's testimony in court was not credible and unreliable, and was meant to blind the court, sometimes by using lies. The prosecution also claimed that Katsav slandered anyone he felt was against him.
Prosecutor Ronit Amiel claimed in court that when Katsav came across women that suited his sexual interests, he would use his position and status in the ministries in which he served and the female workers' desire to establish themselves professionally in order to take advantage of them.
"During they time in his presence, the defendant sexually assaulted the female workers and carried out acts of a clearly sexual nature with them on various levels of severity, including rape. The defendant's high position and the large gap between his status and the minor position of his victims, which were under his bidding and feared for their jobs, significantly influenced their ability to resist, while the acts were happening, and afterwards."
The prosecution claimed the complainants feared that if they resisted, this could affect their jobs and that the exposure of the events would take a heavy emotional toll. "All this," the prosecution claimed, "influenced the ways in which the complainants handled Katsav's behavior and led them to resist in a gentle and calculated way."
Defense: They demonized Katsav
Meanwhile, the defense claimed in court the prosecution is "presenting the defendant as Bluebeard, the monstrous figure from the Grimm brothers' fairytale who murdered his six wives and buried their bodies in the cellar." Attorneys Avigdor Feldman and Zion Amir said that since the prosecution is running out of evidence, it is turning to tales of monsters to make its case.
The defense claimed that the prosecution was pressured into filing the indictment against the former president, and said that without this pressure it would have closed the case long ago and withdrawn the allegations.
The defense said it is uncertain that Katsav would receive justice in the court and be tried without prejudice. "We would be lying if we didn't say we have doubts, and ask ourselves every day during the hearings and summaries whether an ocean of hatred and slander spread in the media doesn't lie between us and the honorable panel of judges."
Nonetheless, the defense added, "If we didn't believe in the court system and it's ability to ignore all that was said about the defendant over the years, we would throw in the towel."
Katsav is charged with two counts of rape and sexual assault against a woman who worked with him at the Tourism Ministry and sexual harassment of his secretary at the President's Residence. He is also accused of indecent assault and sexual harassment against another woman who worked with him during his presidential term, as well as harassing a witness.
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