Beit She'an police officer charged with sexual offences against two policewomen

A police officer serving at the Beit She'an station in northern Israel has been indicted on charges of committing an indecent act and sexual harassment against female officers, several Israeli news outlets reported. News.co.il reported that the indictment was filed by the Police Internal Investigations Department, known in Hebrew by the acronym Mahash, and that it concerns two policewomen in two separate incidents, both of which allegedly took place while the officer and the women were working shifts together.

According to the indictment as described by N12, in one of the incidents the accused set out on a joint patrol shift in a police car with a female officer. During the shift, the indictment alleges, he drove the vehicle into a secluded grove in the area, repeatedly made sexual remarks about her body, touched her even though she refused, and kissed her. N12 added that the indictment describes another, similar incident that occurred at some point between August and October 2023. Ynet summarised the charge in similar terms, saying the officer took the patrol car to an isolated grove and touched a policewoman who had not consented.

Who brought the case

Mahash, the Police Internal Investigations Department, is the body responsible for investigating suspected criminal offences committed by Israeli police officers. It operates separately from the police force, so that allegations against officers are not investigated by their own colleagues. When it concludes that there is sufficient evidence, it can file an indictment in court, as it has done here. News.co.il noted that the case will now be heard and decided by the court.

What the charges mean

Two offences are named in the reports. The first, rendered in Hebrew as ma'aseh magune, is usually translated as an "indecent act" and refers to unwanted physical conduct of a sexual nature. The second, sexual harassment, is a separate offence that can include repeated sexual remarks directed at a person who does not want them, as well as other unwanted conduct of a sexual character. The alleged conduct described in the indictment, remarks about a colleague's body followed by touching and kissing despite her refusal, touches on both.

An indictment in Israel is a formal charge sheet. It sets out what prosecutors say happened, but it is not a finding of guilt. The officer has not been convicted of anything, and the allegations will be tested in court.

Where Beit She'an is

Beit She'an is a town in northern Israel, in the Jordan Valley close to the border with Jordan. Its police station serves the town and the surrounding area, which is where the indictment places the alleged drive into the grove.

How the reports compare

The outlets agree on the core facts: a Beit She'an officer, an indictment, and charges of an indecent act and sexual harassment against female officers. They differ in emphasis. News.co.il states that there are two complainants and two separate incidents during shared shifts, and names Mahash as the filing body. N12 gives the most detail about one incident, the drive into the grove, and dates a second, similar incident to between August and October 2023, without saying whether it involved the same policewoman or a different one. Ynet's alert focused on the grove incident alone. These accounts are compatible, but only News.co.il explicitly says two different women are involved.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports names the officer, gives his rank or age, or says how long he served at the Beit She'an station. They do not say when the grove incident took place, or give an exact date for the second incident beyond the August to October 2023 window. They do not say how or when the complaints came to light, whether the officer was suspended or remains on duty, or whether he or his lawyer has responded to the charges. The reports also do not identify the court where the case was filed or when a first hearing is expected. Israel.com has not seen the indictment itself.