Katsav does not deserve parole

There is a certain belief that public officials who have been convicted of criminal offenses involving moral turpitude deserve a heavier punishment than ordinary citizens. After all, former President Moshe Katzav, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Bank Hapoalim Chairman Danny Dankner, who were convicted of serious criminal offenses, have never been your typical, average Joes.

I personally subscribe to that belief, but some people believe quite the opposite, and their opinion should be given its proper place. They assert that any public figure convicted of a crime that carries moral turpitude, by virtue of the conviction, ceases to be a public role model and becomes just another criminal, and that is punishment in and of itself. Therefore, they should not be punished excessively.

Whether one or the other approach is taken, an iron-clad axiom must apply: These public figures do not deserve preferential treatment thanks to their celebrity status. Is the Israel Prisons Service parole board, which usually comprises members on the lenient side, planning to violate this rule and release Katsav, who was convicted of rape, two years early? And if he is to be denied a reduced sentence, are his supporters already preparing a presidential pardon for him, to be signed by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and subsequently by President Reuven Rivlin? Even if Shaked hasn't said so explicitly, it seems clear, as reporter Guy Peleg revealed on Channel 2 Sunday, that she has casually raised the subject with Rivlin, and that is wrong in terms of both appearances and public service.

Shaked's efforts to secure a pardon for Katzav in the event that his much-anticipated parole request is denied, sparked outrage across the country. Shaked responded by saying that the matter should not be discussed before the hearing, which conforms with Rivlin's approach.

But if everyone is to be treated equally under the law, then clearly Katzav is not entitled to early parole after having failed to express remorse and having refused rehabilitation, which are the preconditions for the early release of any sex offender in Israel.

This falls into line with the lenient school of thought, which stipulates that a president who commits a crime should not be given a harsher sentence than other offenders, but rather the same.

This mini-scandal, which is only in its early stages, is worthy of further examination: Every offender whose crime involves moral turpitude and who will not take responsibility for his actions or express remorse, will not be able to enjoy a reduced sentence.

He has been given a sentence, and if he doesn't want to admit wrongdoing, then he will serve the entire term and be released when it is complete. Not a day sooner. A reduced sentence is a reward, and it must not be given to any robber or thief or violent spouse or white collar criminal who refuses to acknowledge the severity of his or her crimes.

Rather than granting sex offenders such as Katzav and his ilk a reduced sentence, the right thing to do would be to deny reduced sentences from all criminals who are too stubborn to admit their transgressions.

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