"Naked, Dying, and Tied Up"
Former Hostage Rom Braslavsky Details Sexual Violence in Captivity: "They Did Things the Nazis Didn't Do"
Rom Braslavsky, a Nova festival survivor, gave a difficult first interview, revealing sexual violence, constant humiliation, and beatings he endured during over two years in terrorist captivity aimed at destroying his dignity.
In a chilling first interview since his release, former hostage Rom Braslavsky, 21, revealed the horrific physical and sexual violence he endured during more than two years in the captivity of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Gaza. Braslavsky returned home three weeks ago.
In excerpts from his interview with "HaTzinor" program, published by the Daily Mail, the Jerusalem native described severe torture, humiliation, and constant abuse, culminating in brutal sexual assaults.
Braslavsky, who was kidnapped on October 7 while working as a security guard at the Nova festival and saving numerous lives, was held in harrowing conditions in Gaza.
"I Was Naked, Dying, and Starving"
Braslavsky recounted the traumatic sexual violence he experienced: "They took all my clothes off, everything. They tied me up... while I was completely naked. I was crushed, dying, and starving," he described. "I prayed to God, please, save me, get me out of this already. You just ask yourself, 'What the hell is going on here?!'"
He stated that the sole purpose of the abuse was humiliation. "It was sexual violence, and its purpose was to humiliate me. To break my dignity, and that is exactly what they did," he struggled to recall.
When asked if the abuse was repeated, he answered quietly, "Yes. It's difficult for me to talk about it. That was the most terrible part. Things they didn't even do during Hitler's time. You just pray for it to end. Every day there was a new hell. Every blow, every night, I told myself: 'I survived another day in hell, and tomorrow another one will come, and another one. It never ends.'"
Braslavsky concluded with the profound statement: "I returned from a meeting with the devil."
Pattern of Sexual Violence in Captivity
Braslavsky's testimony adds to a growing and disturbing body of evidence from released female hostages detailing severe sexual violence in captivity.
Six months ago, the Israeli Ministry of Health submitted a special report to the Red Cross summarizing the physical and psychological damage suffered by 12 released hostages. The report exposed the continuous abuse endured in Gaza, noting: "Hostages underwent continuous sexual harassment." The report urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to take immediate international action to provide urgent medical aid and secure the return of the hostages for life-saving medical treatment.