Chaim Halpern, who is under police investigation over alleged sexual assault and perverting the course of justice, was today bailed again to return in six weeks.
Three other men, who were arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in connection with Halpern’s arrest, were released without charge
The four men were arrested by Barnet police in February.
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From: www.thejc.com
Police have dropped their investigation into an Orthodox man arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
Gary Ost, 26, was one of four men questioned by police earlier this year as part of an investigation into Rabbi Chaim Halpern.
Mr Ost temporarily stood down from his role as chief executive of community security group Shomrim during the investigation.
He said he "vehemently denied" the allegations against him and had fully co-operated with police.
Mr Ost has not yet commented on the police decision to drop their investigation.
Rabbi Halpern, who heads the Divrei Chaim Synagogue in Golders Green, north west London, was questioned in connection with alleged sexual assault and perverting the course of justice.
Following the arrests in February, Rabbi Halpern's solicitor said he "categorically denies any allegation of wrongdoing".
Police confirmed that its Sapphire Unit, which investigates sexual offences, would take no further action against a 26-year-old man who had previously been arrested.
A 55-year-old man remains on bail as part of the investigation after being arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and perverting the course of justice.
The investigations into two other men, aged 62 and 64, have also been dropped.
Is it really official?
ReplyDeleteConfirmed by the police?
Please confirm
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/110258/police-drop-investigation-shomrim-man
ReplyDelete& in 6 weeks CH case will also be dropped, within the next 10 years he will recapture the title Godol of Europe. Mark my words.
ReplyDeleteBTW I am not saying if he is guilty or not, just what is about to happen. IMHO.
no one knows - Met Police has highest record of endless bail
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22624648
Forget godol. The man is history, people are not that stupid.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the kehilla of NW London, will that ever heal?
DeleteWhatever allegedly did or didn't happen, CH will never be able to gain the same respect and authority he once had, even if all charges are dropped.The alleged victims, will either get closure and be able to get on with a normal life, or will continue suffering for a long time and, if they can get the right therapy, may eventually come to terms with their lot.
Anyone, particularly female, still going to him for advice or counselling and then making allegations of impropriety, will get little sympathy from most.
It is the charedi community of NW London that has been shattered, and the charedi Rabbonim in particular who have lost all of their respect. Union people who in the past abided by the "there is no eruv" ruling, now openly carry in the eruv. Families who wouldn't entertain the thought of not buying kedassia meat, are flocking in their droves to exclusively buy any shechita except kedassia. Grocery stores report the number of customers checking the hechsher of a product, has increased in line with the number of products being returned to the shelf when the kedassia logo is spotted - or at Pesach time, the classic כשר על פסח giveaway - in favour of a product that does not have the kedassia shtempel, even favouring products with no hechsher at all to those bearing kedassia.
Every UOHC notice, be it posted on shul noticeboards or advertised in the Jewish Tribune/Hamodia, are met with derision and derogatory comments.
The rabbinate has lost the little respect and authority it once garnered, and the populace of Hendon and Golders Green are just plodding along, too scared of change to do anything different from what they have been doing for 50 years.
But the youth, the 20 somethings, married or about to be married, they are a generation of convenience and don't like making a big effort. If they don't find a strong kehilla to be proud of, they won't bother at all, and that will never lead to a happy ending.
The Rabbonim have to take a bold stand and start taking positive affirmative action, before it is too late, if it's not too late already.
Why is Kedassia losing respect a bad thing? If anything the fact that the band of gangsters commonly known as the UOHC is beginning to be seen for what it is is a thoroughly positive development.
ReplyDeleteRespect is meritorious, so the loss of respect for Kedassia is not only not a bad thing it is also inevitable.
DeleteWhat is not good is that a new generation of youngsters who don't have the patience and tolerance of previous generations, and who would have joined or affiliated with a charedi kehilla, want nothing to do with Kedassia, or any rov who is connected to it. They will end up not having any kehilla at all. Which in time will cause a breakdown of Jewish communal life.
In Israel, the lack of community has not been so impactful as the state has stepped in and provides funds for a host of social and communal services. In the USA the lack of community is felt to a far greater extent and those youngsters who are not connected to a particular chassidish sect or an individual Rosh Hayeshiva or other such leader, quickly lose contact with the charedi world.
has anyone else noticed that the (gold coloured!!) new Kedassia Luach has a glaring omission, see if you can spot it!!
ReplyDelete