The Be'er Sheva District Court accepted on Monday a police request to extend by three days the remand of the two teenage brothers suspected to have taken an active part in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in Eilat earlier in August.
The two have been handed charges of rape, failure to prevent a crime, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
The court ruling reversed a prior decision to release the teenagers on house arrest.
The suspects' defense attorney, Ness Ben Natan, said that his clients were at the scene but did not harm the victim.
According to him, the suspects are "traumatized and crying constantly. They are sorry they were there. They should not have been there."
Another 19-year-old suspect will remain in police custody until Wednesday. He is set to be charged with failing to prevent crime, as well as aiding and abating a statutory rape.
The court will discuss later on Monday the remand of three other minor suspects.
The alleged rape took place on August 12 at the Red Sea Hotel in the southern resort town of Eilat.
The victim filed a police complaint alleging she was sexually assaulted at the hotel by a group of men two weeks ago.
The incident raised an uproar among the Israeli public, as well as top political officials and public figures.
Police identified and arrested 17 suspects, four of whom are expected to be charged with sexual assault – the 17-year-old brothers, and two 27-year-old men.
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Demonstrators protesting violence against women after gang rape of 16-year-old
(Photo: Yuval Chen)
According to police, a special task force comprised of over 20 officers was formed in the Lakhish Regional Council in southern Israel due to the multiple suspects involved.
Police said the task force has managed to make a timeline of the incident and locate all the suspects involved, adding that "the victim's testimony was found to be credible and the evidence corroborated it."