Gynecologist Sentenced to 14 Years for Raping Nine Patients

The Tel Aviv District Court sentenced Professor Menachem Elkalai to 14 years in prison on Thursday for defrauding and raping nine of his patients. Elkalai, a senior gynecologist, exploited his professional standing to commit the acts under the guise of medical treatment. In addition to the prison term, he received a suspended sentence and was ordered to pay a total of 920,000 shekels in compensation to the complainants.

Elkalai, formerly the head of a unit at Sheba and Poriya hospitals, was convicted four months ago of ten counts of fraud-related rape and sodomy. During the sentencing hearing, the prosecution sought 15 to 20 years imprisonment, arguing that his actions damaged public trust in the medical system. Elkalai's defense attorney, Lior Epstein, requested a single-digit sentence, citing his client's personal circumstances and the lengthy duration of the proceedings since 2013. Elkalai himself appealed for leniency, stating his life's work was ruined and he had not practiced medicine for five years.

The panel of judges, Yaron Levy, Ilan Tzur, and Tamar Yonina Porat, unanimously ruled that Elkalai sexually assaulted women aged 23 to 66. The verdict detailed how he misused his sensitive professional position for sexual contact, falsely presenting it as a necessary part of examinations. The judges rejected his defense that the contact was anatomically necessary and that the women misinterpreted the treatment, calling his claim arrogant and outrageous. The ruling described "a grim picture of women who sought medical treatment and left physically, honorably, and trust-damaged."

Sigal Adam, one of the women who filed a complaint, shared her experience of a six-and-a-half-year legal battle for justice, noting that her trust was deepened by the betrayal of a highly regarded specialist. She urged other victims to come forward. The judges recommended that the Ministry of Health mandate the presence of a chaperone during all gynecological examinations to ensure patient safety and protect doctors from false accusations. Elkalai's medical license had been suspended pending the proceedings, a decision upheld by the Jerusalem District Court, which found his actions severely damaged professional integrity.