"Delete it": Rape allegation and the storm in the pastoral kibbutz in the Jezreel Valley

Ophel Mallul, a member of Kibbutz Gevat, revealed in her own name that she was raped, sparking a storm in the pastoral kibbutz in the Jezreel Valley. Alongside support and calls to exhaust the investigation, there were also reservations, including a request to remove the article from the WhatsApp group. Mallul criticizes the handling of the investigation and claims that evidence was not collected. The kibbutz and the police issued general statements.

Ophel Mallul, a member of Kibbutz Gevat in the Jezreel Valley, revealed in her own name that she was raped, a day after she was interviewed by 'Maariv'. The kibbutz, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, is in turmoil: alongside widespread support for Mallul and calls to exhaust the investigation, there were also reservations, including a request to remove the article from the kibbutz's WhatsApp group, claiming that children might be exposed to the content. Mallul, who returned to the kibbutz about two years ago to care for her ill mother, describes a change in her life: 'My life has changed completely,' she says. She criticizes the handling of the investigation: according to her, no contact was made with her in the first days, and only after about a week was she summoned to a testimony that lasted less than an hour. She also claims that evidence such as the cup, the bag, the clothes, the flip-flops, and the hat were not collected in time. Her friends describe widespread support, but also a change in her condition: 'She is much quieter and more withdrawn.' From Kibbutz Gevat, it was stated that they see utmost importance in protection and do not refer to individual cases. The police confirmed that an investigation was opened and evidence was collected.