Another haredi charged with harassment
Jerusalem resident Ze'ev Frank, 29, accused of spitting on woman in Mea Shearim, calling her 'slut'. According to indictment, in previous incident he called policeman 'Nazi'
The indictment comes two weeks after a precedent decision to file the same charges against Shlomo Fuchs, another haredi Jerusalem resident.
Frank is accused of calling a woman a "slut" and spitting on her in the Mea Shearim neighborhood.
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According to the indictment, the woman was walking on the street last Thursday at around 8:30 pm. Frank, who was unhappy with the way she dressed, approached her with threatening body gestures and called her a "slut". He then allegedly spat on her and ordered her to "get out of here".
Three policemen who were in the area emerged from an unmarked police car and arrested him. They were attacked by many haredim who demanded that Frank be arrested.
The indictment also claims that Frank began physically resisting his arrest, while kicking two of the policemen. As he was placed inside the car, the haredim encircled the policemen and began throwing stones and iron rods at the car. They also tried to remove its doors.
One of the policemen was injured in the commotion, and the car's rear windshield was smashed. Frank is accused of sexually harassing and assaulting the woman, as well as assaulting a policeman under aggravating circumstances.
Insulting public officer
The indictment mentions another incident from March 2011, when Frank entered a store in Mea Shearim and shouted at a woman and her daughter.
In response, the store manager forcibly removed Frank from the shop. Frank returned to place several minutes later with his friends, who tried to stop people from entering the store and shouted at the workers and customers, "Why are you shopping in a store with immodest people?" In this case Frank is accused of wrongful behavior in a public place.
According to another clause in the indictment, about four months ago Frank said to a police officer, "Nazi, get out of here. You have no business being here." In this case he is accused of insulting a public officer.
The Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office asked the court to keep Frank in custody until the completion of the legal proceedings, saying that there was reason to suspect that his release would put the public in danger.
Frank's lawyer, Attorney Yair Nehorai, said in response to the indictment: "The State's use of the sexual harassment clause does not match the goal of the law and the broad interpretation given to it by prosecution elements.
"On Friday we presented the court with a tape raising doubts in regards to the suspicions directed at Mr. Frank."
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