Israeli Polygamist Goel Ratzon Convicted Of Sex Crimes And Cleared Of Slavery Charge

Goel Ratzon Convicted Of Multiple Sexual Offenses And Acquitted Of Slavery Charge

On August 8, 2014, the Tel Aviv District Court in Israel convicted **Goel Ratzon**, a self‑styled spiritual guru and polygamist, of multiple sexual offenses including rape, indecent assault and other related crimes, but **acquitted him of the specific slavery charge** related to the treatment of his partners, according to Israeli media reports. Ratzon, then 64, had been arrested in January 2010 following a televised investigation and police inquiry into his activities, which had attracted public attention due to the unconventional communal living arrangements and allegations of abuse.

Ratzon was discovered to have lived with at least **21 women** whom he regarded as his “wives,” and with whom he had fathered **49 children** over several decades, beginning in the early 1990s. Some of the women involved later provided testimony about his behavior, and several reported abusive conduct. Prosecutors brought charges including rape, sodomy, indecent assault and other offenses against a number of women and girls associated with Ratzon’s circle.

The court found Ratzon guilty on most of the sexual offense counts but determined that the evidence did not meet the legal standard for slavery charges, resulting in an acquittal on that specific count. In October 2014 he was subsequently sentenced to **30 years in prison** and ordered to pay financial compensation to several victims. Ratzon’s appeal to the Supreme Court of Israel against his conviction and sentence was denied in July 2016, upholding the district court’s ruling.

The case drew significant media and public attention in Israel due to the scale of Ratzon’s household, the number of women and children involved, and the complex legal issues surrounding consent, control and criminal responsibility. Some former partners and human rights advocates expressed disappointment that the slavery charge was not upheld, while the convictions on the other counts reflected the seriousness of the crimes adjudicated in court.