A Landmark Civil Ruling: Justice, Recognition, and Survivor Power
The recent powerful civil court ruling awarding NIS 500,000 (approximately $139,000) in damages to a young woman who was sexually assaulted while intoxicated and unable to give informed consent is not just about money, it’s about recognition.
In 2018, this woman entered a restroom with her cousin during a family event, while she was heavily intoxicated, drugged, and disoriented. She was later found unconscious, partially undressed, and frothing at the mouth. In a landmark decision, the court believed her account: that she never would have willingly engaged in sexual activity, certainly not with her older cousin, and that she was in no condition to consent.
Although the State Attorney’s Office closed the criminal case, twice, the civil court recognized the harm, held the man accountable, and validated the survivor’s truth. This ruling sends a clear and resounding message: when the criminal system fails, the path to justice is not closed.
Being a survivor of sexual violence is not a moment – it’s a lifelong impact.
The trauma infiltrates every aspect of life: relationships, trust, intimacy, work, health, and even basic daily functioning. Many survivors describe a loss of control, safety, and self-worth. It can take years, sometimes decades, to find words for the pain, let alone seek justice. Survivors often carry invisible wounds that affect their ability to form connections, maintain employment, or even get out of bed in the morning. When society fails to recognize these effects, it deepens the isolation. That is why rulings like this matter, not only for what they say to the perpetrator, but for what they say to every survivor watching: you are not alone, and what happened to you matters.
As a survivor-led civil suit, this case illustrates a different kind of justice, one where the survivor takes the lead, presents evidence, and faces the person who caused the harm. In this courtroom, she is no longer a passive witness in a state-run process; she is the plaintiff, with agency, voice, and power. For many, this shift can be profoundly healing. Civil justice does not replace criminal justice, but it is no less legitimate. When a judge formally acknowledges harm, assigns responsibility, and rules in favor of the survivor, it offers not only compensation, but institutional validation.
It gives survivors the sense that their truth matters and that someone, somewhere, listened. For society, this ruling also shifts the narrative. It clarifies that consent must be informed and conscious, and that sexual violence, even when invisible to the criminal system, will not be tolerated.
At TASACC, we continue to meet many survivors who hesitate to pursue civil claims—not because of legal challenges, but because of emotional and moral dilemmas. “I don’t want his money,” they tell us. “I want him held accountable by the state.” We understand that pain deeply. But rulings like this show that civil justice is not a compromise, it is a meaningful, dignified path toward truth, healing, and public acknowledgment. Financial compensation cannot undo trauma, but it can fund therapy, provide a safety net, and ease the overwhelming weight that survivors often carry alone.
As we see it, justice should never be a single, narrow road. It must be wide enough to carry many voices, many choices, and many paths to healing. At TASACC, our mission is to walk with survivors wherever they are, to support, inform, and empower them, whether they choose the criminal path, the civil path, or neither.
This ruling reaffirms what we have long believed: that survivors deserve more than silence, more than doubt – they deserve options, respect, and the full recognition of their pain and power.
Join TASACC in praying for the swift and safe return of all our hostages.
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual violence or is experiencing the triggering of post trauma, please know that support is just a call away.
Reach out to the sexual assault crisis hotlines:
1202 for women
1203 for men
02-5328000 for religious men
You are not alone. We are here.
Tel Aviv Sexual Assault Crisis Center