House of horrors: 21 years of rape, abuse

Indictment filed Wednesday at Tel Aviv District Court exposes father, mother who abused, sexually assaulted their daughters over 21 year period

Naama Cohen-Friedman|Published: 09.12.12 , 21:55

According to an indictment filed Wednesday, three sisters were repeatedly raped by their father for the past 21 years. Though the mother knew what the father was doing to three of her four daughters, the indictment stated that not only did she keep silent, but also abused her daughters herself.

The father sexually abused his daughters ever since they were little girls and through to adolescence. When one of the daughters described to her mother what the father was doing to her, confessing it was painful and unpleasant, the mother dismissed her saying: "It's ok, he does that to me too."

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The indictment further stated that the mother made a habit of locking her daughters in the bathroom, sticking their heads in the toilet and flushing, and threatened to use an iron on their faces.

Apparently the father also peeped on his daughters in the shower on a regular basis. The State Prosecutor's Office obtained evidence from therapists who have recounted the daughters' testimonies.

The prosecution asked that the court extend the remand of the father until legal proceedings against him are completed, and that a restraining order be issued against the mother, keeping her away from her city of residence.

Relating to the father, the indictment noted that "the defendant's actions during the years in question were made by use of force, or threats of force, and in a manner that did not allow the complainants to express any resistance. The defendant executed his assaults while abusing the naivety of the minors, his parental authority, their fear of him, and their trust in him."

As for the mother, the indictment stated that "starting 1989, the mother knew that the father was sexually assaulting the complainants, and assisted him with carrying out his assaults by abandoning her duty to help the complainants, whether by taking them away from the defendant, or by informing the police or the authorities of his abuse so that they can help the complainants; all the while knowing that her actions, or lack there of, are most probably helpful to the father."