Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Supreme Court President Asher Grunis decided that judges who rule on cases of sexual offense are to undergo sensitivity training on the issue of sexual harassment and assault.
Livni and Grunis' decision follows inappropriate comments made by judges in sensitive cases, such as Judge Nissim Yeshaya ,who retired after telling a rape victim in his court that "some girls enjoy getting raped."
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The sensitivity training consists of three days workshops and is to be held in February and June 2014.
"Comments made by few judges were offensive toward women in general and sexual assault victims specifically. It is nevertheless important to note they are the exception to the rule. The workshops could therefore help remove inappropriate prejudice from the courtroom and increase the public's trust in the legal system."
Referring to those who criticized her decision, the justice minister said that the training in no way suggested that judges were not professional, but was only aimed at ensuring victims of sexual crimes be treated with sensitivity.
- Noam (Dabul) Dvir contributed to this report