Anna Liedtke Files Israeli Rape Complaint Over 3rd Strip-Search During 5-Day Detention
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 15
Anna Liedtke Files Israeli Rape Complaint Over 3rd Strip-Search During 5-Day Detention
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 15
Summary
Lawyers for Anna Liedtke, 25, filed a criminal complaint with Israeli authorities seeking an investigation into her alleged rape by female prison guards during detention after a Gaza flotilla was intercepted on 8 October.
The complaint centers on a 10 October search at Givon prison, where Liedtke says guards forced her to kneel, covered her mouth and penetrated her after she refused to strip; she says male guards laughed nearby.
Liedtke says the assault followed two earlier forced strip-searches during her 5-day detention, including one in a partly exposed area visible to male personnel, despite legal limits requiring consent and written authorization.
Israeli military and prison officials denied the allegations, with the prison service calling them categorically unsubstantiated, while Liedtke's lawyer said the filing challenges a culture of impunity in Israeli jails.
The case adds to widening scrutiny of alleged sexual abuse in Israeli detention: the UN blacklisted Israel in May over conflict-related sexual violence, and Australian and French authorities are also examining flotilla detainees' claims.