- It's being described as the worst sexual
abuse scandal in the Israeli army's history.
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- As many as 35 Israeli soldiers are suspected
of statutory rape of an 11-year-old girl who lived with her family on an
air force base in southern Israel.
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- Defence lawyers say the girl, now in
counselling, lied to the soldiers about her age, claiming she was older,
and that the sex was consensual. Regardless, legal experts said the soldiers
could still be prosecuted for statutory rape.
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- The case marks a new low for the military,
once Israel's most revered institution, tarnished in recent years by incidents
of financial corruption and sexual misconduct.
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- Limited details released by the military
indicate at least 17 Israeli air force soldiers have been investigated,
and several others are likely to be called in.
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- The girl lived with her family on the
base where her father, a career military man, served.
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- The family has since left the base and
the girl is under psychological care, the army said.
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- http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_
page/0,5936,18997973%5e401,00.html
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