Criminal9/10/2026

Why Sexual Violence Cases Involving the Use of a “Date-Rape Drug” Are Closed

Support centers in Israel documented more than 300 inquiries within one year concerning sexual violence involving the use of incapacitating substances—the highest figure in a decade. However, only a small proportion of these cases leads to the filing of a police complaint, the filing of an indictment, and all the more so to a conviction.

Key facts

•More than 300 inquiries in one year—the highest figure in a decade
•Approximately 50,000 inquiries to support centers over the past year
•16,000 of the inquiries were new
•Approximately 10% of the inquiries reached the police
•Approximately 80% of cases are closed before an indictment is filed
•Only two convictions for the use of such a substance were reported

The Yuval Vilner Case

The report was published after the State Attorney’s Office decided to close, due to insufficient evidence, the case against musician Yuval Vilner, who was suspected of raping Shai-Li Atary and Naama Shahar. Atary believed that during the incident she described, what is known as a date-rape drug may have been used. Closing the case due to insufficient evidence is not an acquittal, but the source does not report that an indictment was filed or that legal proceedings took place.

Why It Is Difficult to Gather Evidence

According to attorney Hila Neubach of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, incapacitating substances may deprive a person of the memory of the event itself. Victims can describe their condition afterward, but are not always able to recount continuously what exactly happened. Gaps in memory may also be related to traumatic dissociation, in which a person remembers certain details of the surroundings but not the violence itself.

From an Inquiry to a Conviction

Over the past year, the support centers handled approximately 50,000 inquiries, 16,000 of which were new. Only about 10% of all inquiries led to contact with the police, and approximately 80% of cases already opened for sexual offenses are closed before an indictment is filed—usually due to insufficient evidence. According to Neubach, only two people in Israel have been convicted of using a “date-rape drug.”

What Changes Are Proposed

Representatives of the support centers believe that investigations should take into account the effect of sexual trauma on victims’ memory and behavior. The proposals include establishing dedicated courts for sexual violence cases and improving professional training within the police and the State Attorney’s Office. This is the position of the support center representatives, not an enacted legislative decision; the source does not report a new law or a binding change to procedures.

What this means for you

Contacting a support center, filing a police complaint, filing an indictment, and obtaining a conviction are different stages, and progression to the next stage is not guaranteed. In cases involving incapacitating substances, the absence of complete memories may make proving the case significantly more difficult, and closing a case due to insufficient evidence does not in itself determine, through a court judgment, either the suspect’s guilt or innocence.

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