In September, the Tel Aviv District Court sentenced Levin for raping the mother of a patient, committing sexual offenses against two patients, and abusing his authority in his treatment.
Follow us on GoogleThe former senior doctor at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon had abused his position as a medical professional and caused severe and continuing harm to his victims, the State Attorney’s Office said, adding that the sentence does not adequately reflect the severity of his actions.
In September, the Tel Aviv District Court sentenced Levin for raping the mother of a patient, committing sexual offenses against two patients, and abusing his authority in his treatment of a third.
The prosecution is asking the High Court of Justice to substantially increase his sentence.
Levin was convicted in February after admitting to an amended indictment of rape, five counts of committing an indecent act, and abuse of official authority. Alongside the prison sentence, the court ordered him to pay NIS 750,000 in compensation to the four victims. The money was deposited before sentencing.
Levin admitted to using his position as a senior doctor and the trust placed in him to commit offenses from 2010 to 2021. He formerly headed Wolfson’s pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition unit.
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. One of the victims was 16 at the time, the prosecution said.
Abuse of authority charges
He was charged with abuse of authority for carrying out invasive examinations on a patient without her or her mother’s informed consent.
The prosecution originally sought a prison sentence of at least 13 years. The six years imposed for all the offenses together were the lower end of the sentencing range it had asked the court to set for the rape alone, it said in its appeal.
Prosecutor Noa Kasir Pat, of the State Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Department, said the District Court had not given sufficient weight to the particular severity of sexual offenses committed by a doctor. She cited Levin’s exploitation of the trust placed in him and the victims’ dependence on medical care.
The acts had been repeated over time, and Levin created conditions that allowed him to commit the offenses, which left the victims with severe psychological harm and difficulties functioning in daily life, the prosecutors said, adding that the harm also affects their ability to receive medical care.
Trauma to the victims
Citing victim-impact reports, the appeal describes a victim who avoids essential examinations despite the risks to her health, and another whose fear of male doctors makes it difficult to receive routine care.
The District Court recognized the particular gravity of offenses committed by a doctor and the harm to the victims, according to the appeal’s account of the sentence. It also took into account Levin’s age, lack of previous convictions, 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.
The prosecution says the court had acknowledged the aggravating circumstances but did not adequately reflect them 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.
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · SARAH BEN-NUN
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