A. The 2001 law preventing the employment of sex offenders at particular institutions:The law prohibits the employment of sex offenders at institutions that are aimed at providing service for minors and people with either mental or developmental disabilities.
The purpose of the law: to provide special protection for minor and for people with mental or developmental disabilities, from sex offenders, from the incredible harm caused by sexual molestation, and from the recidivous nature of sex offenders; all the while paying careful attention to the added vulnerability of the target population.
According to the law:
- Employers at the institutions stated in the law (hereinafter: "The Institutions") are prohibited from employing sex offenders in any position which enables them to be in contact, whether regular or permanent, with minors or with people suffering from mental or development disabilities
- Sex offenders are prohibited from being employed at the institution
- Employers are prohibited from employing any adult without a permit from the Israel Police verifying that their employment is permitted by law. This prohibition does not apply to women at this point
These prohibitions apply even if the individual in question is merely volunteering in the institution, whether independently or via an employment agency.
Definition of a sex offender to whom the prohibition refers:
Anyone convicted of a sex offence, while they were considered adults by law (over the age of 18), and given that the offences were committed as of March 1, 1998.
The law refers to the following institutions, with regards to prohibiting the employment of sex offenders:
- Schools, daycares, afternoon childcare programs, and other types of educational institutions meant for minors.
- Youth movements, summer camps, clubs and culture centers for minors.
- Zoos and amusement parks.
- Culture and sports youth centers, gyms and swimming pools that are admitting minors.
- Transportation services for minors, or for people suffering from mental or developmental disabilities.
- Any business dealing with the organization of trips or holidays for minors, or for people suffering from mental or developmental disabilities.
- Any business providing security services for minors.
- Hospital children's wards and children's clinics.
- Clinics or mental institutions.
- Clubs, daycares, treatment centers, or rehabilitative work centers for people suffering from mental or developmental disabilities.
A committee of specialists, which was founded according to the law, is authorized to exempt the sex offender from the employment prohibition; given that he had issued a request, and that the committee had received an "endangerment evaluation" regarding that individual and has evaluated the need for the prohibition with regards to him. The committee's chairman is a judge at the magistrate court, and the members of the committee are experts in the behavioral patterns of sex offenders and their treatment.
An amendment to the law, which was published in the official publication on June 3, 2010, adds the following institution to the list: "any other institution which provides, among other services, tutorials, instructions, education, entertainment or diagnosis for minors or for people suffering from mental or developmental disabilities; any institution providing treatment as well as care and supervision for this population."
The amendment will come into effect on September 3, 2010. However, with regards to individuals who were already employed at one of the institutions mentioned in the amendment on June 3, 2010, and are still employed there; the amendment will come into effect only on December 3, 2010.As stated, an employee wishing to apply to the committee, according to the law, in order to receive exemption from the prohibition, will be allowed to do so even before the amendment come into effect. An employee who applies to the committee before August 3, 2010, will be able to continue working at the institution until such a time when the committee comes to a decision regarding his case but only in condition that he has presented the employee with a permit verifying his application to the committee on the appointed date.
It should be stated that according to the amendment, any institution mentioned in the amendment is obligated to notify the adult employee about the amendment, with the exception of the occupation and employment prohibitions it contains. The notification must be in writing, and delivered via registered mail or direct delivery. With regards to employees who are already employed at the institution, the message could be posted on a bulletin board in the institution.
Applications to the experts' committee must be transferred by the committee's secretary, Mrs. Ricky Meyochas; according to the law of sex offenders' employment at particular institutions, passed by the Juvenile Court: No.25 Shoken St. Tel-Aviv 66532
03-5128222 Phone Number:
A version of the amendment, as it appears in the official publications, is linked on the side.