Man Charged With Raping Mentally Disabled 19-Year-Old in Bat Yam Hotel

The Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office filed charges against Rafael Sherga, 51, from Bat Yam, accusing him of aggravated rape and sexual offenses against a 19-year-old woman with an intellectual disability. The alleged crimes occurred two weeks ago in a Bat Yam apartment hotel. According to the indictment submitted by Attorney Noa Rashti, the victim entered an Aroma café in Bat Yam where Sherga was sitting with a friend. He approached her, introduced himself as Shlomo, a 28-year-old masseur, and invited her to join them. Despite her refusal, he offered to pamper her with a massage and later suggested going to his apartment in Tiberias. When she declined, citing she did not want to travel far, Sherga exploited her disability by saying he would book a hotel room in central Bat Yam.

The victim preferred to stay local, but Sherga persuaded her to leave the café and go to a nearby park. He then booked a hotel room in Bat Yam, and they traveled there in his car. Due to her intellectual disability, the victim believed she was going for a massage and expressed discomfort with undressing and not knowing him. The prosecution alleges Sherga raped her during the car ride and committed further sexual offenses upon arrival at the hotel, causing physical injuries and pain by hitting her. During their time in the hotel room, the victim's family called multiple times, but Sherga instructed her not to answer. Eventually, her family sensed her distress and alerted the police, prompting Sherga to flee the hotel.

The indictment charges Sherga with multiple offenses including aggravated rape without consent, exploiting the victim's intellectual disability, indecent acts under similar circumstances, and causing bodily harm. Sherga's public defender, Attorney Gil Friedman, stated that Sherga denies all allegations and claims the acts were consensual.