Tel Aviv court convicts Prof. Meni Alkalei of rape by deception

The Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday convicted Prof. Menachem, known as Meni, Alkalei of rape by deception. The judges said he exploited women’s trust and created a false impression that his actions were part of a medical examination or treatment.

Alkalei, a former head of the urogynecology unit at Sheba Medical Center and Poriya Hospital, was indicted in August 2024 in Tel Aviv on serious sex offenses. The indictment followed testimony from more than 35 women in 2021, who said they were sexually assaulted during medical examinations conducted by him.

According to the indictment, the alleged offenses took place between 2013 and 2021 in nine separate incidents at different clinics. Prosecutors said he used his position, the women’s trust, and their physical condition during examinations to insert his fingers into their vaginas and simultaneously stimulate their clitorises, while making it appear to be part of the medical process. The court found that the acts were carried out with consent obtained by deception about their nature.

During the case, 20 complaints were filed with police. Women who testified said they were sexually harmed while being examined in his clinic. After the allegations surfaced, Alkalei was initially suspended from Sheba, but he continued seeing patients in private practice. The ruling ends a lengthy criminal case that began after the allegations came to light about four years ago.