Defendants in court
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Jaffa flee market
Photo: Benny Doutsh
2 flea market vendors indicted for rape of tourist
Raanana man, 39, accused of raping American tourist after threatening her, then friend perform indecent acts on her
An indictment has been filed Sunday against two vendors
for raping and performing indecent acts on an American tourist in the Jaffa flea market.
One of the defendants is charged with rape
and the other is charged with indecent acts.
According to the indictment, a 25-year-old American tourist went into a jewelry store at the Jaffa flea market and picked out a ring. She handed a NIS 200 bill to the vendor, a 39-year-old man from Raanana, who refused to give her change and told her to pick out more items.
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He then put jewelry in her bag, despite her refusals, and even put a bracelet on her ankle. At one point he led her to a corner in the store and performed indecent acts on her despite her pleas.
According to the indictment, at one point the defendant told the victim he was leaving the store for a short while and threatened her by saying that "it would be suicidal" of her to leave the store.
Jaffa flee market (Photo: Benny Doutsh)
A minute later, he returned and proceeded to rape her. He then pushed her into a nearby clothes store operated by a second vendor, a 44-year-old man from Holon, and grabbed her face and kissed her.
The second vendor led her into a changing room despite her refusal, while the other vendor stood watch.
The second defendant is accused of performing indecent acts on the victim.
The prosecution motioned to remand the two men pending the end legal proceedings. "The defendants' behavior is of a violent nature and they posed a great threat (to society)," an attorney on behalf of the prosecution said in the hearing.
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