Tel Aviv police are asking a well-known gay activist to
admit to molesting a gay teen so that they can prove that he was known to the three men suspected in the 2009 shooting spree at an LGBT teen center that left two people dead.
The activist is himself a suspect in the Barnoar club attack in which a gunman shot two teenagers dead and injured 15. Police earlier this week said the attack had been carried out to avenge the alleged sexual assault of a minor, by the activist. Police are convinced that the activist refuses to admit to having sexual contact with the minor only because he fears for his life. Hagai Felician, the main suspect, allegedly fired into Barnoar after a relative told him he had been assaulted by the activist, police say. Police detectives are trying to persuade the activist to admit to having sexual contact with the minor. That testimony would refute the claims of the other three suspects who say they don’t know him. The activist’s attorney, Ran Alon, would not comment on the matter, saying only “I hope my client is released to go home on Friday.”
Three months ago the main informant called police from prison, where he was being held on an unrelated crime, to identify the three suspects. He told police he that as a member of the gay community he had "pangs of guilt" for his role in the crime. Police now say the informant was actually seeking revenge on the other three for "turning their backs on him." The informant, who was released from prison in order to aid in the investigation, is being placed in Israel's witness protection program. The attack resulted in one of the largest manhunts and most expensive investigations in Israeli history.
Labels: crime, Israel, murder, Tel Aviv
