Another senior police officer investigated on sexual harassment claims
Police scandals continue popping up as seventh police commander accused of sexually harassing several female officers under his command.
A high-ranking police commander was questioned at the Police Investigation Unit on Wednesday afternoon on suspicion he sexually harassed several police women under his command.
Ynet later learned that that at least five female officers have since given testimony regarding numerous instances of alleged sexual harassment by the officer, who holds the rank of major-general; and all said they had feared the ramifications of coming forward.
According to testimony given by the police women against the officer at the Police Investigation Unit, these incidents of sexual harassment have allegedly been going on for years, but concrete information about these allegations only came to light recently.
The five women – who have no connections between them besides being under the officer's command during recent years - were contacted by police investigators after the story broke, and only then were they willing to corroborate police suspicions regarding the officer's misconduct.
The police have been plagued with embarrassing affairs of late.
Recently, it was revealed that a policewoman filed a sexual harassment complaint to the Police Investigation Unit against a police station commander in southern Israel. The policewoman was five months pregnant at the time and said that the officer inquired how far along she was, and then told her he fantasized about having sex with a woman in her fifth month.
In her complaint, the policewoman said that the station commander asked her in a WhatsApp message what she plans to wear to a night out planned for the unit, and asked that she send him photos of her wearing a skirt. According to her, he said "it's just a skirt."
She also accused her direct commander of inappropriate treatment and harassment after he allegedly threw a stapler at her.
An affair centering on Deputy Police Commissioner Nissim Mor, who was fired after also being linked to suspicions of sexual harassment, indecent acts and having sexual relations with police officer, was perhaps the most embarrassing of the recent affairs surrounding the police’s top command.
The latest police chief to retire was the Judea and Samaria District Commander, Maj.-Gen. Kobi Cohen, after he admitted last week that he had an inappropriate relationship with a policewoman under his command.
Before him was the former Jerusalem District Commander, Maj.-Gen. Niso Shaham, who was accused of having sexual relations with police women under his command. He was dismissed from police in October 2013 by Interior Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich after Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino recommended that course of action.
Another embarrassing affair includes the Lahav 443 Unit Commander, Maj.-Gen. Menashe Arviv, who allegedly accepted bribes from Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto while in the United States. Arviv denied the allegations, but went on vacation following which he retired, claiming he was suffering from the drawn out legal proceeding.
Maj.-Gen. Bruno Stein, the commander of the Central District, also retired from police in the past year after being photographed at a party held by an attorney who allegedly bribed policemen to close his clients' cases. Jerusalem District Commander, Maj.-Gen. Yossi Parienti, also retired for "personal reasons" after he announced he would not run for the Police Commissioner's position. Later, claims arose that his retirement may have been prompted by allegations of sexual harassment.
