An indictment was filed on Monday morning in Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court against 22-year-old Netanya resident Eliyahu Ganah, charging him with a series of indecent acts against women throughout the city.
According to the indictment, filed by attorney Eden Hadida Barzilai of the Central District Attorney's Office, the allegations do not concern a single incident: Ganah was questioned, released to house arrest, allegedly violated the conditions, was arrested again and released, and then, within a single day, allegedly committed a further series of acts against at least 10 different women.
On July 31, at around 11:20 a.m., a woman entered her residential building in Netanya while speaking on the phone. According to the indictment, Ganah followed her into the building, pulled down his pants, and performed a sexual act in front of her. The woman was frightened and immediately fled to her home.
The following day, during the afternoon, another woman entered the same building. This time as well, according to the indictment, Ganah was standing near the entrance with his pants pulled down and performing a sexual act. The woman shouted at him to leave, and he fled on foot.
On August 4, Ganah was questioned at the Israel Police's Shdot station on suspicion of involvement in the two incidents. At the end of the questioning, he was released to five days of house arrest. Three days later, however, at 3 a.m., he allegedly violated the conditions of his release and left his home on a motorcycle.
That night, two women were walking along the promenade on Nitza Street in Netanya. According to the indictment, Ganah rode toward them, drove the motorcycle onto the sidewalk, slowed down beside them, and grabbed one of the women by the buttocks. He then continued riding.
The two women ran after him and reported what happened. Police later located Ganah on Kiryat Sanz Street in the city. According to the indictment, when police found him, he said, "I made a mistake, I made a mistake." He was arrested again and was subsequently released under house arrest conditions as part of a hospitalization arrangement until August 11.
According to prosecutors, the second release did not stop the alleged pattern of conduct. Five days later, on August 16, Ganah rode a motorcycle through the streets of Netanya. Over a period of less than two hours, according to the indictment, nine separate incidents were documented in which he approached women walking in the street and touched or attempted to touch them.
The series began at 5:15 a.m. on Uzi Hitman Street, where Ganah allegedly approached a woman and grabbed her buttocks. Ten minutes later, near the Ir Yamim mall, he approached another woman walking with her young daughter and dog and grabbed her as well.
Five minutes later, near the Island Hotel, he allegedly approached another woman and touched her thigh beneath her buttocks. The woman turned toward him and asked, "Are you insane?" According to the indictment, he then continued to other streets in the city.
The man woke up at 6 a.m. and drove across the city allegedly carrying out indecent acts
At 6 a.m., he allegedly approached a woman walking on Hashiv'a Street and stroked her buttocks. About 20 minutes later, on Itamar Ben-Avi Street, he allegedly carried out a similar act against another woman who was walking beside her sister.
At 6:30 a.m., on Hama'apilim Street, he approached another woman and reached his hand toward her buttocks, according to the indictment. She moved away quickly, and he continued riding. Five minutes later, on King David Street, he passed another woman, blocked her path, and grabbed her breast. She shouted at him and struck his hand, and he fled the scene.
The series of alleged incidents did not end there. At 6:45 a.m., on Jabotinsky Street, Ganah allegedly approached another woman and stroked her buttocks. She turned toward him and said, "Excuse me, what is this supposed to be?"
At 7 a.m., on Ussishkin Street, he approached another woman and reached his hand toward her body. She moved away quickly, and according to the indictment, he touched her thigh and continued riding.
Hours later, at 10 p.m., the alleged 10th incident took place. A woman walking on Zionist Congress Street noticed Ganah approaching her on the motorcycle. According to the indictment, he lifted her skirt and grabbed her buttocks. The woman shouted and began running after him, but he fled at speed.
Prosecutors said the evidence gathered during the investigation includes testimony from the complainants and eyewitnesses, as well as calls made to the Israel Police 100 emergency hotline in real time. The callers provided identifying details that the state claims matched Ganah.
Evidence includes security-camera footage from across Netanya
The evidence also includes security-camera footage from across Netanya on August 16. According to prosecutors, the footage shows a motorcycle ridden by a person whose identifying characteristics match Ganah's at times and locations corresponding with complaints filed that morning.
During questioning on August 18 and August 20, Ganah admitted to the acts attributed to him, according to the prosecution's remand request, although in some cases he gave a different account of how the incidents had occurred.
Ganah was arrested on August 18, and his detention has since been extended in periodic hearings. Alongside the indictment filed on Monday, prosecutors asked the court to keep him in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
Prosecutors argued that the succession of incidents over a short period, particularly the fact that some allegedly took place after Ganah had already been questioned and while he was violating house arrest conditions, demonstrated that he posed a danger and had exhibited a recurring pattern of conduct.
The prosecution's request said his conduct demonstrated a "lack of fear of the law," and argued that, in the state's view, no alternative to detention could sufficiently mitigate the danger he allegedly poses.