High Court overturns parole of rapist officer
Former IDF Colonel Ataf Zahar denied early release despite Military Parole Board's recommendation. 'a serial sex offender who shows no remorse is not the kind of prisoner that should be considered for early parole,' says ruling
The High Court of Justice accepted Thursday an appealed filed by the State against the early release of former IDF Colonel Ataf Zahar, who was convicted of rape and is serving a six-year sentence.
Deputy Chief Justice Eliezer Rivlin and the honorable Elyakim Rubinstein and Hanan Meltze decided to overturn the Military Parole Board's decision to commute Zahar's sentence.
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In 2006, Zahar was found guilty of the rape and sexual assault of a female solider serving under his command. He was sentenced to six years in prison, demoted to the rank of private and orders to pay NIS 25,000 in damages.
The court criticized the parole board's decision to commute the sentence. Judge Meltze said that Zahar failed to express true remorse for his action: "This is a man who perpetrated a series of sexual assaults against a subordinate and still doesn’t understand what he did wrong.
"A serial sex offender who fails to understand the criminal nature of his acts and the magnitude of the catastrophe that has imposed on his victim, expresses no remorse and does not believe that he needs to mend his ways is not the kind of prisoner that should be considered for early parole," the ruling said.
The court also rejected the assertion that Zahar no longer posed a danger to the public: "The fact that the officer was convicted of the rape of 'only' one victim, does not convince (the court) that he is not dangerous or that he will not repeat his acts in the future, " the ruling said.
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