AUDIO: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-11/senior-rabbi-apologises-for-culture-of-cover-up/4951536
Australia's most senior orthodox rabbi, Moshe Gutnick, has formally apologised for child sexual abuse within the Jewish community.
In a written apology on the eve of Yom Kippur, he said the issue has been handled inappropriately with a culture of covering up abuse.
Rabbi Gutnick asked victims of abuse for forgiveness and urged them to come forward to ensure police can prosecute the perpetrators.
"We need to empower ourselves and victims to help to bring this scourge to an end," he said.
Talking to reporters, the rabbi addressed what he called a "cultural cover-up" with those inside the church refusing to contact the proper authorities in the belief sexual assault was a church issue, not a criminal one.
"I'm not talking about any specific incident or case. I'm talking about there was this idea of keeping the problem in house," he said.
"For something that was part of much of our thought processes and that again was completely wrong and we have to now be very open about what takes place."
He also acknowledged how a case he handled in 1987 has remained with him over the decades since.
"I received an anonymous phone call from a very young person telling me that they had been sexually abused," he said.
"At the time I reported it to the people involved but I didn't take it very seriously."
Rabbi Gutnick said he now regrets not taking action at the the time to catch and punish the perpetrator.
"If I would have done more, if I would have followed it up, if the perpetrator would have then been identified and caught, then there are many victims after that that would have been saved," he said.
In addition to the apology, the letter also addressed the behaviour of those inside the church, calling upon the majority of rabbi's to adopt a culture of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Tzedek, a group advocating for Jewish victims of child sexual abuse, has welcomed the letter, describing it as a ground breaking milestone for the Jewish community.
The founder and chief of Tzedek, Manny Weks, says an apology is an important step in the healing process for victims.
"I don't necessarily think that it is all of a sudden going to change overnight," he said.
"But it certainly does send out a very strong message that the peak body of the rabbinate and the orthodox community in Australia has taken an unequivocal position on this matter.
"It leaves no ambiguity on how they need to respond to this issue."
Does the UOHC take the same unequivocal position on this issue?
ReplyDeleteUohc is a bloody mafia
ReplyDeleteStop buying there meat milk etc
There hechsher meams nothing.
Why Why is there a pedophile hanging around riechs shop????
ReplyDeleteDoes he work there?
DeleteHow about Lubavitch London?? Can we expect a few heads to roll there?
ReplyDeleteWhat are his initials?
ReplyDeleteWhere does he daven?
DeleteHow many known perverts are there in Golders Green?
ReplyDeleteI have come back this week from yeshivah, I walked in to R Chunez and I was sickened to see Y k davening so erluch as if he has never done anything wrong, I am so angry with you y k as you know that not only have you hurt me but I know now that there are others too, are you not ashamed of yourself? You should not be aloud to daven in R Chunez.
ReplyDeleteURGENT
DeleteIf what you say is correct, then there are five children at serious risk from tonight (Motzei Shobbos Chol Hamoed) for the next week and a half.
If what you say is correct, then please contact protectchildren5774@gmail.com, so that we can meet at your Rov (or any Rov you nominate) to plan to save these five children.
If what you say is correct, then do not stand idly by and allow what happened to you to happen to these innocent children - save them - contact protectchildren5774@gmail.com in the strictest confidence.
These five children depend on you...
Thank you for sharing this with us. I am a naive parent and never imagined that this is going on under our noses. You have done a great chesed by enlightening us to the facts. In order to protect our children can you please enlighten us as to how this man lured you so that he could molest you so that this won't happen to our children.
DeleteVICTIM
DeletePlease report this to the police even confidentially, so that they know who they are dealing with and in order to protect others. You will not have to give evidence in court if you tell them that you are reporting it off the record. They have off the record evidence from me and others.
Reb Chuna's is a haven for perverts of the lowest sort. Just look who gives daf yomi...(and no, I don't mean MB)
ReplyDeletePlease be aware that Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch has written clearly (as posted on this blog in the past), that there is no problem of mesiro in these cases. Rabbi Cohn of the North Hendon Adas also wrote a letter to this effect (as posted on this blog), - that where criminal activity may be involved, there is no problem of mesiro and one has an obligation to report it. All the above allegations involve criminal activity, and also demonstrate impending danger to vulnerable children.
ReplyDelete