Doctor Convicted of Sex Crimes Gets Six Years, Victim Calls Sentence Light

A prominent Israeli gastroenterologist, Professor Arieh Levin, has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of raping a patient's mother and committing indecent acts against two other patients. The sentence, handed down by the Tel Aviv District Court, is less than half of the 13 years sought by the prosecution. Levin, formerly the head of the pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition unit at Wolfson Medical Center, was convicted as part of a plea deal for rape and indecent acts, as well as abusing his position of authority.

One of the victims, Tal Cohen Calderon, who was treated by Levin from childhood, expressed disappointment with the sentence. "Every year he spends in prison is a victory for me because he won't harm other women and children," she stated in an interview. Calderon, who was 12 when the abuse began and endured it for four years before reporting it years later, emphasized that Levin's permanent revocation of his medical license was more important than the prison term, as it prevents him from harming others.

Levin will also pay a total of 750,000 shekels in compensation to the victims and has committed to ceasing his medical practice. His defense attorneys stated that Levin took full responsibility, expressed remorse, and had already deposited 750,000 shekels for compensation, in addition to a prior civil settlement of 612,500 shekels.

Legal representatives for the victims criticized the leniency of the sentence, arguing that such cases severely damage trust in the healthcare and justice systems and that Levin's commitment to stop practicing medicine should have been a given, not a mitigating factor. Calderon urged other victims of abuse not to remain silent, regardless of the perpetrator.