Man charged with luring 19-year-old with intellectual disability to hotel and raping her
Prosecutors say Rafael Shraga posed as a 28-year-old masseur, ignored the woman’s refusals and assaulted her repeatedly; her family alerted police after sensing she was in distress; Shraga denies the charges and says the encounter was consensual
District prosecutors have formally charged 51-year-old Rafael Shraga from Bat Yam with aggravated rape and sex offenses against a 19-year-old woman with an intellectual disability. According to the indictment, the alleged victim first encountered Shraga at an Aroma cafe where he introduced himself as Shlomo, a 28-year-old masseur.
Though the woman initially refused his advances, Shraga allegedly exploited her intellectual disability to lure her to his apartment in Tiberias. When she initially resisted, Shraga allegedly convinced her to go to a hotel in Bat Yam by claiming he would rent a room for them. Upon arriving at the hotel, prosecutors say Shraga raped the woman multiple times, causing her physical injuries.
Despite repeated calls from her family, Shraga allegedly instructed her not to answer. Shraga's attorney maintains his client denies the charges and claims the encounters were consensual.
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