A platoon commander in the Golani Brigade has been suspended for beating a new recruit and injuring him severely, Ynet has learned. The soldier has been hospitalized and the military police have launched an investigation.
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The incident took place Thursday during a training course in Krav Maga. The rookie allegedly gave the commander, a second-lieutenant, a light slap on the cheek during the class and the latter responded by saying he would teach him a lesson.
The commander is suspected of then taking the soldier into a private room and beating him mercilessly, ordering him to tell no one of what had occurred.
The officer allegedly beat the soldier a number of times throughout the day, using shoes among other things, and slammed his head against a cabinet. The next day the platoon commander ordered the soldier beaten before his fellow troops, and when his friend refused the officer allegedly punched the abused rookie in the stomach.
On Friday the soldier, who returned home bruised and severely wounded, was rushed to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot to receive treatment for his injuries.
Parents of the rookie's fellow Golani soldiers told Ynet that the case was not a standout occurrence, and that they had heard from their sons that junior officers would take soldiers into private rooms and beat them on a regular basis. One father said his son was afraid to serve.
The incident has sparked an investigation by the military police at the brigade's training base, and on Sunday the base's commanders were questioned.
The officer suspected of the beating has been suspended in the meantime and an investigation will be launched against him later Sunday. Police also plan to gather testimonies from additional soldiers who claim they were abused.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office stated that the case was "rare and serious, and does not suit the norms and values practiced by the IDF as a whole and the Golani Brigade specifically".
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