The Tel Aviv District Court today (Thursday) allowed publication that it sentenced Aviad Grossi, 32, from Holon, to 22 years in prison after he confessed and was convicted of committing serious crimes against nine of his relatives while they were minors - over a period of 9 years.
How to make the most of the Hanukkah days? Travelers: All about shows, tours, workshops • Previously
Grossi was also ordered to pay compensation of 250,000 shekels to the minors he harmed.
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
Grossi pleaded guilty and was convicted as part of a plea agreement of 9 charges of serious acts he committed against his family members when they were children, as well as a dismissal during the investigation that allowed him to continue committing the offenses for an additional five years.
The verdict, written by Judge Noa Tavor - along with Judges Yossi Topf and Yossi Barchia - describes in harsh words the depth of the harm. The judges emphasized that Grossi chose to exploit the absolute trust placed in him as a family member to harm young children, some of whom were at an age where they still did not know how to explain the horror in words.
""The defendant's actions trampled on the dignity of each and every victim, desecrated their bodies, their security and the autonomy to which every person is entitled. The defendant harmed children so young that language did not yet exist in their mouths to describe what they experienced, and the signs of harm were burned into their bodies, without them being able to put it into words. The harm to minors, and even more so, minors who are family members, constitutes a cruel exploitation of their age, their inability to express resistance, their lack of understanding of what is happening to their bodies and their complete inability to resist the acts or prevent them.".
Judge Noa Tavor described the destruction of the family unit in her sentence: "Nine victims. All of them children. All of them brothers and sisters... None of them escaped the defendant's cruel attack.".
His horrific acts were a pattern of action that continued between 2011 and 2020. Grossi would lead the children to hiding places – in the synagogue bathrooms during 'Ong Shabbat', in the bedrooms, and in the police station – where he committed particularly serious acts on them, taking advantage of their tender age.
According to a report on the 'Mako' website, the amended indictment in which the defendant pleaded guilty and was convicted describes the masquerade of abuse: "The defendant entered the family unit as if to lend a hand in raising the children. And now, under the guise of a benevolent figure, the defendant took advantage of the opportunity to abuse the children's innocence and harm their bodies and souls. The trust in the benevolent family member and the admiration for him became, in the hands of the defendant, a tool of continuous exploitation to satisfy his desires, a systematic and ruthless tool to satisfy his instincts, while he exploited the children's tender age and their desire to be near him.
""The difficulty inherent in exposing sexual offenses in the family is further exacerbated by feelings of shame and guilt and by the violation of religious prohibitions. The abuses occurred in the family home and in the synagogue, leaving no protected place for treatment. The defendant's actions are not 'just' a serious criminal offense, but a betrayal of family trust, a trampling on the innocence of childhood, and a desecration of the foundations of morality and human compassion.".
One of the charges in the indictment relates to the crime of impeachment: It turns out that Grossi had previously been suspected, but he managed to persuade one of the victims to give false testimony and remain silent. This action 'bought' him five additional years of freedom, during which he continued to harm the family's children without hindrance.
The court sought to convey a deterrent message: "Due to the scope of the despicable phenomenon of sexual offenses within the family, it is necessary to give due weight to deterrence considerations, especially deterrence of the masses. The sentence is an additional message to potential sex offenders, that they know how great the personal price they will pay for their bad injuries. Let those who exploit the power and trust entrusted to them for the purpose of harm instead of love know that at the end of the day they will be sentenced to many years in prison.".
