Benny Sela
Photo: Orly Zeiler
Serial rapist Benny Sela convicted of sexual assault in prison
Sela, who is serving a 35-year sentence after being convicted of 13 counts of rape in 2000, exposed himself to a prison employee two years ago, leading to a 6-month sentence to be served concurrently to existing sentence.
Serial rapist Benny Sela has been convicted of new acts of sexual assault that he committed while in prison, it was cleared for publication on Sunday.
Sela is currently serving a 35-year sentence for a series of serious sexual offenses.
Earlier this month, he was convicted of exposing himself to a female prison employee in an incident that happened two years ago and was sentenced to six months, which he will serve during his existing sentence. The court also gave him six months' probation.
Benny Sela (Photo: Orly Zeiler)
Sela was first convicted in 2000 and sentenced to 35 years in prison after confessing to 13 counts of rape.
Judge Natan Amit wrote in the 2000 sentencing that "his offenses are at the gravest end of the spectrum. He committed the offenses like an animal pouncing on its victims. His victims were helpless and in most of the cases submitted to him. His actions left scars in their souls that will not be erased for as long as they live."
The judge further wrote that Sela's actions "evoke revolution and contempt, and the punishment must express the public's disgust and public interest, which requires these actions to not be forgotten and for the punishment to not be an insult to his victims."
In 2006, Sela managed to escape from a courtroom in Tel Aviv, leading to great panic among the public. After a two week manhunt, he was eventually caught in northern Israel. The search cost some NIS 36 million.
During his time on the lam, Sela broke into a home in Pardes Hanna and stole cash money, documents, credit cards, valuables and the house keys. He later stole a car.
