The Israel Police are preparing to indict United Torah Judaism leader Yakov Litzman in two related cases alleging that the deputy health minister used his position to shield suspects of child sexual abuse from prosecution, Channel 11 News reported on Friday.
Litzman is suspected of having organized a panel of experts to issue a psychiatric opinion that would have allowed Malka Leifer, an ultra-Orthodox woman facing 74 charges of sexual abuse against minors in Australia, to evade justice by declaring her unfit for trial.
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According to reports, Litzman threatened state psychiatrists with dismissal if they did not rule in favor of Leifer.
In another case, Litzman is suspected of having tried to influence the detention conditions of another convicted sex offender in Israel.
Sources close to Litzman said in March that he was "under heavy pressure from rabbis to help Leifer."
Litzman, who was raised in Brooklyn, New York, has the title of deputy health minister only to avoid hurting the sensibilities of the ultra-Orthodox community, the radical parts of which do not recognize the legitimacy of a secular Jewish state, and serves as Israel's de facto health chief.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS.
