Hila (pseudonym), who served as a guard in the Gilboa Prison during her compulsory military service in 2015, recounted the attempts to silence her after she filed complaints that terrorist prisoner Mahmoud Atallah had raped her in the prison.
In an interview with Galai Tzahal (IDF Radio), she said that "after the serious incident, I really shouted and begged not to enter his wing, but I received one answer - 'The person who demands you in the wing is an intelligence officer.'"
"I was terribly afraid. There is a tendency to assign blame, I knew they would find where I wasn't ok. My team members would make fun of me, they saw that he was talking about me in a possessive manner. I would cry to the girls, I said I couldn't do it anymore, that my sergeant leaves me alone with him all the time , and when we are alone, he keeps touching me," she said.
The Israel Prison Service said in response: "These are difficult descriptions of events that took place several years ago and are under police investigation. The Prison Service provides a welfare package and support to the guard, and will act in accordance with the findings of the investigation."
Atallah was named as the suspect in the Gilboa Prison rape case yesterday after the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court allowed the publication of the terrorist's name following a petition by the Haaretz newspaper and another news organization.
Atallah, who is accused of committing indecent acts on three other female prison guards, denies the accusations against him. He claims that the acts were consensual and initiated by the guard, and insists on taking a polygraph test.
Attalah was sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years for the 2003 murder of an Arab woman who was suspected of 'collaborating' with Israel and for terrorist attacks which resulted in the murder of Israeli civilians.