Prosecutors Drop Rape Case Against Musician Yuval Vilner

The Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office has decided to close the case against musician Yuval Vilner, who was suspected of raping Shi-Li Atari and sexually assaulting Naama Shahar, due to insufficient evidence. No indictment will be filed against Vilner, 38, of Tel Aviv.

Vilner's attorney, Moshe Weiss, welcomed the decision, stating, "We welcome the prosecutor's decision. There is only one truth, and it has come to light." Weiss had consistently maintained his client's innocence and predicted the case's closure.

Shi-Li Atari sharply criticized the decision, asserting that it does not signify her exoneration or Vilner's innocence. Instead, she argued, the prosecution concluded that after years passed, there was insufficient evidence for a criminal proceeding. Atari highlighted the difficulties in cases involving suspected date-rape drugs and noted her efforts to have the case reopened, only succeeding on the second attempt to find witnesses. She also claimed some witnesses signed legal affidavits, facilitated by Vilner's lawyer, before being interviewed.

"Lack of evidence is not proof that a crime did not occur. And the hole in my memory is not proof of consent," Atari stated. "What was taken from me that night, the ability to remember, has now also become what prevents me from receiving justice." She added that the passage of time and evidence degradation impacted the possibility of legal proceedings, warning that such a system teaches perpetrators how to evade justice.

The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel also condemned the decision, calling it "abandonment" and a reflection of law enforcement's struggle with the evidentiary complexities of sex offense cases. The association noted that 81% of sex offense cases in Israel are closed, often due to lack of evidence, with date-rape drug cases presenting particular challenges.

Orit Sulitiano, CEO of the association, called the closure "unthinkable" and a "terrible slap in the face" to Atari and Shahar, emphasizing the closure was for lack of evidence, not lack of guilt.

The case began in 2022 when Atari filed a police complaint alleging Vilner raped her in 2011 while they were students at the Rimon School of Music. The initial investigation was closed due to lack of evidence but reopened later with new findings and testimonies. Shahar subsequently filed a complaint alleging sexual assault by Vilner in 2022 after a night out, suspecting she may have been drugged.

Vilner was arrested in April upon returning to Israel from Berlin and later released to house arrest. He was confronted with Shahar during the investigation. In May, his name was cleared for publication by a magistrate's court. Atari had previously stated that for 15 years, she felt unable to speak Vilner's name publicly while he continued his life.

Complainants have the right to appeal the prosecutor's decision to the State Attorney's Office.