A 31-year old Sudanese infiltrator and a 16-year old resident of Ashkelon were indicted Thursday in an Ashkelon court for the rape, abuse, and forced prostitution of a 12-year old girl.
According to the indictment, the victim, also a resident of Ashkelon, became acquainted with the 16-year old suspect, whose identity has been barred from publication, in March of this year.
Investigators say the 16-year old feigned friendship with the girl, but quickly became controlling and abusive, manipulating the victim to do her bidding.
The suspect allegedly abused her victim physically and psychologically, using violence against her and threats of violence against her family to force her give her sums of money, or to obtain money for her when the victim had none to give.
Assisted by two other minors, the suspect would “punish” disobedience by the 12-year old with a variety of violent, cruel acts including extinguishing cigarettes on the victim’s skin, or holding the victim’s head underwater. In one instance, the suspect and three others beat the victim, set her hair on fire, and pressed the broken leg of a chair up to her throat to choke her. The suspect also threatened to murder the victim’s family, saying she would place a bomb under her mother’s car, set the family’s home on fire, and stab the victim’s mother and siblings.
Initially, the 16-year old suspect forced her victim to go door to door begging for the money. Later, however, the suspect brought a Sudanese illegal immigrant, Ibrahim Idris, who was residing in Ashkelon, into the scheme.
In the arrangement worked out between the 16-year old and Idris, the 16-year old would use her control over the victim to force her to have relations with Idris. Idris, in turn, would pay the 16-year-old suspect 300 shekels for each encounter.
Following the indictment, attorney Michael Bouskila, who represents the 16-year old suspect, said his client had a difficult upbringing and had suffered “tragedies” and was thus in a strained psychological state.
“This girl has a complicated family background and suffered serious tragedies and is in a very difficult psychological condition. Given her situation and her past, social workers are working to assess her condition. We’re waiting to get the results of the investigation, and after we learn about them, we’ll respond in court.”
Prosecutors have indicted both Idris and the 16-year old suspect for rape, taking the unusual step of charging the 16-year old with rape for her use of physical abuse to force the victim into a situation where rape would occur.
Idris has also been charged with receiving prostitution services.