'Sex Cult Leader' charged with enslavement

Goel Ratzon is the first man in Israel's history to be prosecuted for enslavement.

He has also been charged of rape and incest.

The 60-year-old lived in a nondescript house in Tel Aviv with his concubines, fathering more than 30 children with them.

Like a cult leader he controlled every aspect of the women's lives with a list of rules that enforced total obedience, the court alleges.

But they appear to have worshipped him in return, tending to his every whim.

Some bore tattoos with his image, with inscriptions calling him their Messiah.

Defence lawyer Gabai Mendleman told Sky News Ratzon insists he has done nothing illegal.

"They chose to come back to me every day, to live with me. No-one forced them to. That's what my client says," he said.

Police and prosecutors say he is guilty of two decades of abuse.

Israel's police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Sky News: "He's accused of causing physical bodily harm to the women and the children, holding them in terms of slavery as well as unfortunately sexual misconduct to the women and children over a long period of time."

Police believe Ratzon had incestuous sex with his own daughters, fathering more children with them.

Those who know Ratzon say he has a chilling, hypnotic hold over his women and others who come too close to him.

Private investigator Asher Weitzman sent female agents into the family, only to have one of them almost fall under Ratzon's spell.

"What he did was he grabbed her face, in a nice way, not a rough way and he said look into my eyes," he said.

"She looked into his eyes and she says that from that moment she felt like she was losing control."

Mr Weitzman and the Israeli media reported Ratzon to the police a decade ago, but it has taken that long for authorities to investigate him and bring him to court.


/Sky News/