The indictment states that A. exploited the confined space at the top of the guard tower by suggesting that M. remove her weapon from a raised chair so she would be “more comfortable,” which she did. Minutes later, he tried to kiss her. M. refused, expressed her opposition and moved slightly away. A. persisted, attempting to kiss her repeatedly despite her telling him she did not want to. He then ignored her pleas, grabbed her forcefully and choked her.

“M. had difficulty breathing and physically tried to move the defendant’s hands away, without success. He choked her for several minutes,” the indictment says.

After she tilted her head back to catch her breath, the soldier told him she “didn’t want this and didn’t feel like it.” A. was undeterred and carried out several indecent acts. “M. froze and turned her gaze toward the guard tower window,” the indictment states. It then describes how A. fully raped her while repeatedly disregarding her refusal. Afterward, the reservist left the guard tower, leaving Corporal M. alone until the end of her shift.

The suspect’s attorneys, Ilitz Katz and Chen Yitzhak, said in a statement that an initial review of the evidence revealed “serious evidentiary problems,” adding that they believe the sexual relations were consensual.