The Sad Story of Benny Sela’s First Victim

December 7, 2006 - 7:26 PM by Allison

There have been a number of posts here on the desperate manhunt for serial rapist Benny Sela — over the weekend there was a heartbreaking interview in Hebrew with his very first victim, who suffered a vicious and violent rape at his hands when she was young and both attending boarding school on kibbutz, where each had “adoptive” kibbutz families who were supposed to look out for them.

When Yael reached her adoptive parents’ home, only P., the father, was home. He insisted that Yael wait and speak to his wife H.

“When she returned, I told her. I was bruised and frightened.” Yael states. “She said to me. ‘What are these stories? Come on, really. What nonsense.’” H. refused to believe Yael’s accusations, and Sela continued to threaten to kill her. No one else asked any questions, and two weeks later, Yael quietly left the kibbutz.

It was only years later that she discovered that her attacker had gone on to become an infamous criminal.

“I’m angry that I was silent, that I gave up. How could I not settle accounts with him? How did I agree to have them say in the kibbutz that there wasn’t a rape, (rather than) stopping this madness at that point?

You read it and shake your head in dismay — if only this girl had been taken seriously when it happened to her, if only there had been some consequences for this budding sociopath, how many other women could have been saved. The full interview in English is here.

Share with others