Former Israeli President Katsav who was convicted of rape in a Tel Aviv court Thursday morning was no stranger to sexual crimes as he had faced two allegations of rape by an employee when he was tourism minister in the 1990s. He was also convicted of later sexual offenses.
The judges said they believed the evidence of Woman A, whose testimony had led to both charges of rape.
Moshe Katsav resigned from the post of ceremonial head of state in 2007 and was indicted in March 2009. He could now face a jail term of at least four years, although he is thought to be likely to contest the conviction in Israel's supreme court.
Before Katsav arrived for the verdict a crowd built up outside the district court, including many women's rights activists. The former president, in office for seven years from 2000, had denied the charges, the most serious levelled against an Israeli head of state.
He had rejected a plea bargain in 2008 that would have seen him plead guilty to sexual misconduct but avoid more serious charges.
Reading the verdict, Judge George Karra who presided over a panel with two other judges, said: "We believe the plaintiff [Woman A] because her testimony is supported by elements of evidence, and she told the truth."
Katsav's evidence, the judges decided, was "riddled with lies".
