Man Detained Over Alleged Rape of 18-Year-Old Woman in Bat Yam Extended Until August 10

A 51-year-old man from Bat Yam remains in custody until August 10, suspected of raping an 18-year-old woman at a Bat Yam apartment hotel. The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court extended his detention on Friday following a police investigation that began the previous evening after a report of a violent rape around 7 p.m. Police and forensic teams collected evidence at the scene and arrested the suspect shortly thereafter in an open area of the city.

During the court hearing, the suspect denied the allegations, claiming innocence and stating that the woman approached him voluntarily while he was at a café with a friend. He also expressed willingness to undergo testing. The presiding judge, Reanan Baruch, ruled there was reasonable suspicion that the suspect committed penetration without the victim's free consent, exploiting her intellectual disability.

The suspect's lawyer, Gil Friedman, asserted that the acts were consensual and strongly denied claims regarding the victim's alleged disabilities. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.