THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF MINORS IN SPORT IN ISRAEL
The legal protection of minors, that is, persons under the age of 18 years old, in sport in Israel is currently based on a developing safeguarding framework, which combines general child-protection rules; obligations concerning the prevention of sexual harassment; ethical duties in organised sport; and a broader policy to create safer sporting environments for children.
Importantly, Israel does not yet appear to have a single, comprehensive sport-specific child-protection statute. Rather, protection is currently derived from a combination of general child-protection law; the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law, 5758-1998; and sport-specific regulations and policy initiatives.
A central general protection under Israeli law is the mandatory reporting obligation anchored in section 368(d) of the Penal Code. This requires any person to report suspected abuse of a child by a person responsible for that child, such as a parent, guardian, teacher, or coach, to the police or to a child protection officer, failing to do so is punishable by up to three- or six-months imprisonment. Covered offences include sexual offences; abuse; neglect; abandonment or endangering the life of a minor or helpless person. Although this reporting duty is not sport-specific, it is highly relevant to sport, since coaches and other persons working with children in sport fall within this framework.
As mentioned, another important legal basis is the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law, 5758-1998 (the Law). This law prohibits sexual harassment and persecution; defines prohibited conduct; provides for criminal and civil remedies; and imposes duties on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and persecution. It also expressly defines a “minor” as a person under the age of 18 years.
Under the Law, sexual harassment includes, inter alia, indecent acts; extortion by threat where the demanded act is of a sexual nature; repeated sexual propositions or references; insulting or debasing references to a person’s gender or sexuality; and certain conduct involving minors or employees, even without proof that the victim demonstrated non-consent, where there is exploitation of authority or dependency. The Law also prohibits persecution, that is, retaliation or harm resulting from sexual harassment or from a complaint or action brought because of sexual harassment.
The Law further provides for criminal sanctions. Under section 5 of the Law, sexual harassment may lead to imprisonment of up to two years, persecution up to three years, and where both sexual harassment and persecution are involved, up to four years.
Employers are also under a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and persecution within labour relations. Under section 7 of the Law, they must provide an effective complaints mechanism; take action where they become aware of harassment; and, where they employ more than 25 employees, prescribe and publicise internal rules addressing sexual harassment and persecution. The Law is, therefore, not merely punitive, but also preventive in nature. It is also noteworthy that these duties apply, mutatis mutandis, to academic and professional training institutions, which shows that the Law extends beyond the classic employer-employee relationship.
Key Aspects of Protection for Minors in Israeli Sport:
Legislative Action: In October 2020, the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) approved Regulations under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment framework that impose specific obligations on sports bodies. These include education and training activities for coaches, professional staff, and athletes of all ages, as well as the appointment of a designated person to oversee such activities and the submission of an annual report to the relevant Knesset committee.
As regards coaches, mention may be made of the notorious case of the handball coach, Beno Reinhorn, who, in 2020, was convicted of sexual crimes against 65 women, of whom 57 were minors, and, in 2021, sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Safeguarding Framework: Israel has participated in the Child Safeguarding in Sport initiative (CSiS), which resulted in a country-specific roadmap (the roadmap) for the protection of children in sport, and was published by the Council of Europe in 2022. A central objective of this framework is the development of Child Safeguarding Officer roles and the gradual establishment of a more coherent national safeguarding system for sport. The roadmap also envisages the appointment of an Officer of Child Safeguarding in Sport within the Ministry of Culture and Sport, as well as qualified Child Safeguarding Officers in sports organisations and clubs, including as a condition for receiving governmental sports funding.
Institutional Responsibility: The Ministry of Culture and Sport is identified as the principal stakeholder in relation to child safeguarding in sport, alongside other public authorities and civil-society bodies, including the National Council for the Child and the Association of Rape Crisis Centres in Israel. The Israel National Olympic Committee plays an important role in implementing safeguarding measures in Olympic sport. Its ethical framework requires those responsible for child athletes to protect their health, safety, and well-being; to act in their best interests; and to prevent neglect as well as physical, emotional, and sexual exploitation.
Awareness and Training: The Israeli approach places considerable emphasis on awareness-raising and education. Coaches, staff, volunteers, and athletes are to be trained to identify abuse; understand reporting duties; and contribute to a safe and supportive sporting environment. The roadmap also refers to guidance materials prepared for coaches working with children, including material on identifying abuse, reporting obligations, and relevant reporting channels.
Safety Standards: Israeli safeguarding efforts are not limited to sexual harassment alone. The roadmap expressly calls for a broader approach covering physical abuse; emotional abuse; neglect; bullying; and peer abuse. At the same time, it acknowledges that there is still no fully comprehensive and uniform reporting and case-management structure across all sports organisations, and that the safeguarding framework remains under development at the national level.
It is fair to say that the protection of minors in sport in Israel is advancing but remains a work in progress. Important protective elements already exist, especially in relation to reporting duties, sexual-harassment prevention, ethical standards, and training. However, Israel still appears to be in the process of building a more comprehensive and fully coordinated child-safeguarding system specifically for sport. Against that background, international instruments, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, remain relevant as part of the broader child-protection context, but they are less central than the general reporting duty under the Penal Code, the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law, 5758-1998, and the October 2020 Regulations imposing specific safeguarding obligations on sports bodies.
For further information and advice on the legal protection of minors in sport in Israel, email Kim Gamboni at gamboni@valloni.ch.