Netanya Farmer Indicted for Forced Labor and Sexual Assault of Thai Workers

A severe indictment has been filed against Shmuel Gross, a farmer from Netanya, accusing him of forced labor, sexual offenses, and violence against foreign workers from Thailand whom he employed. According to the indictment, Gross exploited the workers' vulnerable status related to their work permits, legal residency, and housing. He assigned them tasks beyond their permit conditions, sometimes outside his farm, paid wages in cash irregularly, and withheld full payment from some.

The indictment details that Gross housed the workers in inadequate conditions lacking basic amenities such as beds, blankets, hot water, doors, and proper sanitation, in a temporary structure exposed to weather. He also failed to provide necessary work equipment and ignored their complaints. Gross allegedly imposed punitive measures including withholding overtime, isolating workers, and transferring them to other employers.

Gross is accused of systematic physical and verbal abuse, including hitting, pushing, pulling clothes, spraying water, cursing, and threatening the workers. In some instances, he reportedly used a tractor or vehicle to intimidate them into fleeing. Additionally, two female foreign workers were employed for household and office cleaning against permit rules, with one subjected to forced sexual acts under coercion. When she resisted, she was given harder tasks and denied wages upon leaving.

The victims have been recognized as forced labor victims. This indictment results from coordinated efforts by Israel Police's Lahav 433, the Social Division of the Ministry of Justice, the State Prosecutor's Office, the Population and Immigration Authority, and the Israeli Police, as part of the government's fight against human trafficking. The charges reflect multiple counts of forced labor and sexual offenses under coercion, aligned with the state's enforcement policy against human trafficking and exploitation of foreign workers.

The case is currently before the Netanya Magistrate's Court.