"We were drunk, it lasted seconds": The defense line of the Deputy Mayor of Rishon LeZion
The Deputy Mayor does not deny that there was contact between him and the employee, but claims: "It was not exactly a sexual relationship, we were drunk and it lasted a few seconds." At the same time, he accuses the complainant's husband, who is subordinate to him in the municipality, of a "conspiracy."
The Magistrate's Court in Rishon LeZion extended on Thursday by five days the detention of the Deputy Mayor suspected of sex crimes and harassment. During the hearing, his attorney claimed that the acts attributed to his client do not constitute a crime, and that the complainant had even sent him photos of herself in the past.
In a conversation with "Maariv," the defense attorney said that the suspect does not deny that there was contact between the two, but according to him, it was a one-time and short event that occurred by consent:
"It was not exactly a sexual relationship. There was something there that lasted a few seconds and ended."
According to him, both were drunk during the incident, which took place in the suspect's office.
The attorney further claimed that the complainant's husband is waging a struggle against his client, and that following that confrontation she was, according to him, prompted to file the complaint:
"There is a conspiracy here and an attempt to take him down as a result of the struggle he is waging against people who act illegally."
According to the defense, the complainant's husband is a municipal employee subordinate to the suspect, and the confrontation between them concerns, among other things, claims regarding time-tracking discrepancies. The attorney noted that the complainant herself is a municipal employee, but is not directly subordinate to the suspect. He added that his client denies that the contact was without consent, and maintains that "everything that happened was by consent."
On the other hand, a source in the municipality told "Maariv" that the suspicions do not surprise him. According to him, "These are events that were known, but the victims were afraid to complain." It was further claimed that in the past, complaints were received in the municipality according to which, when the suspect served in a senior position providing services to residents, he allegedly invited some of the women who applied to a restaurant outside of Rishon LeZion, under the guise of handling their matters.
"Everyone in the municipality knew," claimed a source familiar with the details. "It was not only with municipal employees who were afraid, but also with residents who applied for service and claimed that he harassed them. It is a pity that the municipality did nothing."
