Officer sent to prison for fondling female soldier
Master sergeant dismissed from IDF, demoted to private by court martial after harrassing soldier on duty call. Prosecution claims exploitation of young soldiers is of major concern
It was just another routine duty call for the female military driver, but driving the non-commissioned-officer turned into a traumatic experience when the latter, a career officer, told her, “I want to show you a good time,” and went on to touch intimate parts of her body.
Following the soldier’s complaint, the officer was sentenced to 45 days in prison, despite his display of remorse.
Next, the master sergeant asked the soldier to stop that car on false pretext, and slid his hand under her shirt as well as touching her crotch.
“I showed you a good time so far, now it’s your turn to spoil me,” he said, before she finally managed to make him stop. The soldier reported the incident to her unit, and the Investigating Military Police launched an investigation which led to the master sergeant’s indictment.
“One of the major problems in the military system is taking advantage of one’s rank, whether by commanders, officers, and non-commissioned officers, against young soldiers,” the military prosecution’s representative said during the trial. This is also one of the great fears of soldiers and their parents when joining the army…it’s unheard of to ask a soldier to ‘show him (the master sergeant) a good time' while driving.”
"I regret the situation and am willing to pay the price,” the non-commissioned-officer said during the trial.
Following the affair, the latter was dismissed from the IDF, and Major-General Elazar Stern, head of the IDF's Human Resources Directorate, instructed the army to freeze his retirement funds until the legal proceedings are completed.
The team of judges headed by Major Tali Fried announced their acceptance of the plea bargain agreed upon by both sides, maintaining that in addition to the prison sentence, and the soldier’s compensation of NIS 1,500 (about $461), the master sergeant be demoted to the rank of private.
