Rabbi Moshe Yazdi sentenced to 18 years in prison in Israel
The Jerusalem District Court in Israel sentenced Rabbi Moshe Yazdi to 18 years in prison for repeated sexual offenses against two women who sought religious advice from him. The court found that Yazdi deceptively convinced the women that the sexual acts were God-approved “spiritual corrections.”
As The Jerusalem Post reports, Yazdi was convicted in March on several counts of rape and indecent acts by deception, as well as financial offenses. According to the court's findings, one series of sexual offenses lasted about 12 years, while another lasted from three to four years. In total, there were dozens or possibly hundreds of offenses involving each of the two women.
Compensation for victims
In addition to the main sentence, the court imposed one year of suspended imprisonment on Yazdi and ordered him to pay 150,000 Israeli shekels in compensation to each of the two victims. The time he has already spent in custody will be credited toward his sentence.
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The court found that the rabbi exploited the women's trust, their personal difficulties, their young age, and their vulnerability to his influence. In the judges' view, his actions harmed their physical and mental condition, as well as their autonomy and ability to make informed decisions.
Charges involving eight women
Yazdi headed the Amudei Hashalom community and a nonprofit organization of the same name since 1997, ran a charitable dining hall, helped people in hardship, and taught the Torah. The court concluded that he used religious claims to portray sexual acts as spiritual intervention rather than ordinary sexual contact.
The original indictment involved eight women, but Yazdi was convicted of sexual offenses only in connection with two of them. He was acquitted on five of the nine charges, including some sexual and financial counts. Yazdi was also found guilty of money laundering, actions to evade mandatory financial reporting, transactions involving prohibited property, and deceiving creditors. He may appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court.
