Being a criminal in Israel has long been a less dangerous pursuit that it is in say, the U.S. Benny Sela, the infamous serial rapist, was sentenced to 35 years behind bars for committing no less than 24 rapes and sexual assaults. A simple search online reveals that for committing four rapes, an Ohio rapist was recently sentenced to 94 years in prison.
This disparity in sentencing can be seen in “lesser” crimes, as well. An attempted murderer at the 2005 gay pride parade in Jerusalem was sentenced to 12 years in jail. This, compared to the 51 year sentence handed down in Virginia last month.
Recent sentencing, however might be showing signs of improvement. In 2006, one man stabbed another, to death, when both were hitchhiking in the Galil. The murderer stabbed the victim in the stomach, who then chased after him for revenge, only to be stabbed repeatedly in the neck, ultimately killing him.
The murderer was sentenced to 25 years in prison (Hebrew), which seems to be a more appropriate than a four year sentence for stabbing your wife in front of your daugher (sorry, also Hebrew).
Now, if only the police did their jobs, too…
EDIT: NG has alerted me to a mistake I made – Benny Sela did indeed escape while being transferred, not while on furlough. It is still ridiculous that criminals get “vacations” from jail-time.
Benny Sela escaped while being transferred from his prison to a courthouse for some sort of judicial proceeding. He was supposed to have been shackled at the time.
You’re right, my mistake. Duly corrected.