Livni: Success of complainants bolster rape victims in Israel; Zuaretz: We need to limit time a criminal can postpone sentence through appeal.
By JPOST.COM STAFFLivni 311 reuters(photo credit: Reuters)Lawmakers from Kadima commended a Supreme Court ruling in an appeal by former president Moshe Katzav, with MK Orit Zuaretz saying she planned to a draft a bill that would limit the amount of time a convicted sex criminal can postpone a sentence through an appeal.Katsav will begin serving his seven-year prison sentence on two counts of rape in December, nearly nine months after he was convicted by the Tel Aviv District Court.RELATED:Supreme Court upholds Katsav's 7-year rape sentenceSupreme Court: Katsav to remain free pending appealOpposition leader Tzipi Livni lauded the Supreme Court's decision, saying that the complainants' success bolstered the position of rape victims in the country."The Supreme Court affirmed that justice will be done and canceled all doubts that the defense cast on the complainant," Livni said in a statement.
"From this day forward, no one can dare argue that women attempted to harass the president. Rather, these brave women stepped forward and gave strength to all those concerned about their ability to report [a rape case]," Livni stated.Zuaretz announced on Thursday her intention to draft a bill that would limit the amount of time a criminal can postpone his sentence due to an appeal, in light of the former president's case."I intend to draft a bill that will place a limit on the amount of time a convicted criminal can postpone his sentence due to an appeal. [This is] for criminals in general and specifically sexual predators," Zuaretz said."Katsav, who was convicted of sex crimes, was treated with outrageous ease," Zuaretz said, adding that she hoped the Supreme Court was "the last stop for the convicted rapist."
