Israeli Man Charged with Repeated Rape of Mentally Disabled Woman in Bat Yam Hotel

The Israeli State Prosecutor's Office filed a severe indictment on Thursday against Rafael Sherga, 51, from Bat Yam, accusing him of repeated rape and other sexual offenses against a 19-year-old woman with an intellectual disability. The indictment was submitted to the Tel Aviv District Court, which was also asked to extend Sherga's detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings.

According to the indictment, about two weeks ago, the victim entered an Aroma café in Bat Yam, where Sherga, sitting with a friend, invited her to join them. He introduced himself as Shlomo, a 28-year-old massage therapist, and offered her a massage. Despite her refusal, Sherga persuaded her to accompany him to his apartment in Tiberias, falsely promising to book a hotel room in central Israel. The victim, unaware of his true intentions due to her disability, agreed to go with him.

They left the café and went to a nearby park, then Sherga booked a hotel room in Bat Yam where he sexually assaulted her multiple times, causing physical injuries and pain. During their stay, Sherga instructed the victim not to answer calls from her family, but she eventually did. Her family sensed her distress and alerted the police, prompting Sherga to flee the hotel.

The charges against Sherga include aggravated rape and sexual offenses committed without consent and exploiting the victim's intellectual disability. The case highlights the exploitation of vulnerable individuals and ongoing efforts by Israeli authorities to prosecute such crimes.

Separately, the State Prosecutor's Office also filed an indictment earlier this month against Mohammed Al Naqib, a math teacher at a prestigious Tel Aviv school, accused of sexual offenses against a minor student. The court imposed a gag order on the details of that case, and Al Naqib remains detained pending trial.