State appeals six-year prison sentence for former Wolfson doctor convicted of rape

Israeli state prosecutors have appealed the six-year prison sentence imposed on a former senior doctor at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon who was convicted of rape and other sexual offenses, arguing that the punishment does not adequately reflect the severity of his actions.

The State Attorney's Office said the former physician had abused his position as a medical professional and caused severe and continuing harm to his victims. The prosecution is asking the High Court of Justice to substantially increase the sentence, which the Tel Aviv District Court handed down in September.

The doctor, Levin, was sentenced for raping the mother of a patient, committing sexual offenses against two patients and abusing his authority in his treatment of a third. He was convicted in February after admitting to an amended indictment that included rape, five counts of committing an indecent act and abuse of official authority. Alongside the prison term, the court ordered him to pay NIS 750,000 in compensation to the four victims, money that was deposited before sentencing.

Levin admitted to exploiting his position as a senior doctor and the trust placed in him to commit offenses between 2010 and 2021. He formerly headed Wolfson's pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition unit.

According to the case against him, Levin raped the mother of a child he was treating after inviting her to his office to collect medical documents. He also committed indecent acts against two patients during or after medical appointments, and the prosecution said one of the victims was 16 years old at the time. The abuse of authority charge stemmed from invasive examinations he carried out on a patient without the informed consent of her or her mother.

The prosecution originally sought a prison sentence of at least 13 years. In its appeal, it noted that the six years imposed for all the offenses combined amounted to the lower end of the sentencing range it had requested for the rape charge alone.

Prosecutor Noa Kasir Pat of the State Attorney's Office's Criminal Department argued that the District Court had not given sufficient weight to the particular severity of sexual offenses committed by a doctor. She pointed to Levin's exploitation of the trust placed in him and to the victims' dependence on medical care.

Prosecutors said the acts were repeated over time and that Levin created the conditions that allowed him to commit the offenses, leaving the victims with severe psychological harm and difficulties functioning in daily life, including in their ability to receive medical care. Citing victim-impact reports, the appeal describes one victim who avoids essential examinations despite the risks to her health and another whose fear of male doctors makes routine care difficult.

According to the appeal's account of the sentence, the District Court recognized the particular gravity of offenses committed by a doctor and the harm caused to the victims. It also weighed Levin's age, his lack of previous convictions, his admission and expressions of remorse, the amendments to the indictment and the compensation he had deposited. His admission came late in the prosecution's case, after the victims had testified, and the prosecution says the court acknowledged the aggravating circumstances but failed to reflect them adequately in the punishment it imposed.

The appeal also argues that sexual offenses committed by a doctor abusing his position damage public trust in the medical system beyond the harm to the individual victims, and that the punishment must reflect that damage and provide a clear deterrent.