has re-posted the UK Channel Four's "Britain's Hidden Child Abuse", a documentary about child abuse in the British Hareidi community.
(This time, with Channel Four's permission, so hopefully You Tube won't take it down again!).
For those with an interest in this topic, it is well worth taking the next 40 minutes to watch it.
The Channel Four "Dispatches" investigative program broadcasted "Britain's Hidden Child Abuse" last week.
The documentary was made over a one year period, and visits the chareidi communities of London, Manchester & New York.
In London, an anonymous (to us) Chareidi rabbi is interviewed, who tells how a child was allegedly mollested in the community, who then told his parents, who went to the police. The community rabbinical leadership and many members subsequently intimidated and shunned the victim's family, charging them with "mesirah" (betrayal to the non-Jewish authorities).
Another alleged child abuse victim, now an adult (Moshe) is wired up by Channel Four, and then meets and secretly videos Rabbi Ephraim Padwa. Moshe tells Rav Padwa that he was sexually abused as a child, and Rav Padwa tells him, repeatedly, from several angles, not to report to the police.
The Channel Four interviewer then speaks with a community figure, Mrs Ita Symonds, an elderly lady who helps the needy, who is remarkably forthright and confident in defending the community policy of dealing with child abuse allegations as an internal matter. She adds that IF the community try and fail to 'deal with' a specific threat, they would then turn to the police.
The Channel Four team then moves up the M62 to Manchester, where Moshe is again wired up and meets with Dayan Osher Westheim, an Av Beit Din. Moshe tells Dayan Westheim that Moshe was sexually abused by someone now teaching i a school in Manchester.
Dayan Westheim appears more sophisticated that Rav Padwa, and says he is aware that he faces imprisonment if he explicitly tells a crime victim not to go to the police. He therefore more subtly dissuades Moshe, mainly by claiming the police will not act effectively (or at all) if Moshe does report. In the discussion, Dayan Westheim claims that he is already investigating "the case" (without Moshe even identifying the man he's referring to) and if he finds the allegations are true, would remove the teacher from the school and send the perpetrator for therapy.
The program interviews a member of what sounds like a modesy patrol, or other gang of chareidi vigilantes who himself was raped as a child. In view of the ban on contacting the police, and the ineffectiveness of the rabbinical leadership, this gang has taken to beating up alledged child molesters in the community - around 15 of them over the years, he says.
"Dispatches" then heads to New York, to cover the infamous Weberman case, homing in on the Satmar community dinner to raise money for Weberman's defence. They interview a spokesman for the community who defends the community policy of rallying around the alleged perpetrator, but not around the victim.
The team then interviews Ben Hirsh of Survivors for Justice, who is working to promote the rights of child abuse victims in the Jewish community.
All in all, it is a dark day for the Jewish community that the non-Jewish media are the only party who are able and willing to apply pressure on the chareidi community to finally drop their discredited policies of treating child abuse allegations as an "internal community issue".
On the other hand, hopefully this exposure will encourage child abuse victims and their families to come forward, putting their and the community's childrens safety ahead of blind community obeisance.
The documentary was made over a one year period, and visits the chareidi communities of London, Manchester & New York.
In London, an anonymous (to us) Chareidi rabbi is interviewed, who tells how a child was allegedly mollested in the community, who then told his parents, who went to the police. The community rabbinical leadership and many members subsequently intimidated and shunned the victim's family, charging them with "mesirah" (betrayal to the non-Jewish authorities).
Another alleged child abuse victim, now an adult (Moshe) is wired up by Channel Four, and then meets and secretly videos Rabbi Ephraim Padwa. Moshe tells Rav Padwa that he was sexually abused as a child, and Rav Padwa tells him, repeatedly, from several angles, not to report to the police.
The Channel Four interviewer then speaks with a community figure, Mrs Ita Symonds, an elderly lady who helps the needy, who is remarkably forthright and confident in defending the community policy of dealing with child abuse allegations as an internal matter. She adds that IF the community try and fail to 'deal with' a specific threat, they would then turn to the police.
The Channel Four team then moves up the M62 to Manchester, where Moshe is again wired up and meets with Dayan Osher Westheim, an Av Beit Din. Moshe tells Dayan Westheim that Moshe was sexually abused by someone now teaching i a school in Manchester.
Dayan Westheim appears more sophisticated that Rav Padwa, and says he is aware that he faces imprisonment if he explicitly tells a crime victim not to go to the police. He therefore more subtly dissuades Moshe, mainly by claiming the police will not act effectively (or at all) if Moshe does report. In the discussion, Dayan Westheim claims that he is already investigating "the case" (without Moshe even identifying the man he's referring to) and if he finds the allegations are true, would remove the teacher from the school and send the perpetrator for therapy.
The program interviews a member of what sounds like a modesy patrol, or other gang of chareidi vigilantes who himself was raped as a child. In view of the ban on contacting the police, and the ineffectiveness of the rabbinical leadership, this gang has taken to beating up alledged child molesters in the community - around 15 of them over the years, he says.
"Dispatches" then heads to New York, to cover the infamous Weberman case, homing in on the Satmar community dinner to raise money for Weberman's defence. They interview a spokesman for the community who defends the community policy of rallying around the alleged perpetrator, but not around the victim.
The team then interviews Ben Hirsh of Survivors for Justice, who is working to promote the rights of child abuse victims in the Jewish community.
All in all, it is a dark day for the Jewish community that the non-Jewish media are the only party who are able and willing to apply pressure on the chareidi community to finally drop their discredited policies of treating child abuse allegations as an "internal community issue".
On the other hand, hopefully this exposure will encourage child abuse victims and their families to come forward, putting their and the community's childrens safety ahead of blind community obeisance.
What disappointed me was that Dispatches faiuled to pick up on the serial abuse by Gentile headmasters in Jewish boys' schools like Dr William Garner in Yesodey Hatorah and Mr King in Pardes House. Both schools covered up abuse to avoid harming their applications for state aid, in the case of Y.H. for their girls school. Dispatches gave the impression that Jewish boys were being abused only by fellow Jews. It's also coming back to haunt us that we throw around the title 'Rabbi', whereas in earlier generations only the Mora D'Asra was called Rabbi -- ministers were called Rev. with only the Chief Rabbi called Rabbi. Years back we spoke of Reb Moshe Feinstein or Reb Aaron Kotler, but Rav Breuer or Rav Soloveitchik to distinguish a Mora D'Asra.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of Rabbi Westheim. He profiteers from his meat shomering to the tune of millions a year, at the expense of the wider community.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless he steered as close a course to perfection on this issue as you ever will find if you film from someone speaking masiach lefi tumo to hidden cameras. He stated explictly "al pi halocho you can go to the police." he went on to say that "if that's what you want to do, you should do it". And his criticisms of the police is not unfounded.
Jimmy Saville was reported to 4 separate police forces. In his autobiography he boasts about how he avoided prosecution for the rape of a run away girl in Leeds by threatening to "take the whole police station down with him." Jimmy Saville never was prosecuted for his crimes in his lifetimes, despite committing hundreds of offences.
The police are but one instrument among the many needed to fight sexual abuse.
No one has to by products with his hechsher and there is competition. The latest gadgets cost very little to make and are sold at huge profits. Why shouldnt he make millions. You should be satisfied he is cheaper than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think he's cheaper? Partially because the Irish operation is more efficient, and partially because the tzibur doesn't get any of the funds whatsoever. The MBD used to fund a variety of different mosdos - not any more.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you care why he is cheaper. As long as kashrut is not compromised you should be happy. So who said the MBD and Machzikai Hadass have to fund mosdos from their meat sales. It is usually poor people with large families who end up paying. In which SA does it say one has the right to use a meat tax for this. You may be rich others arent. And if it can be done cheaper in Ireland then they should all go there.
ReplyDeleteI don't impugn his kashrus, and I do agree that lowering costs is good.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it seems to me to be greedy to not be satisfied with a Dayan's salary - if the meat is too expensive, it's his calling as a Dayan to fix that for everyone, not to profit from it for himself.