School Guard Will Face Trial

By Benjamin Preiss
The Age
May 21, 2012

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/school-guard-will-face-trial-20120521-1z1f6.html

Yeshiva College in East St Kilda. Photo: John Woudstra

A FORMER security guard at a Melbourne orthodox Jewish school accused of sexual assault has been committed to stand trial.

David Samuel Cyprys, 44, faced about 50 charges including rape and sexual assault of 12 students from Yeshivah College in St Kilda between 1982 and 1991. Twelve charges yesterday were struck out in Melbourne Magistrates Court before Cyprys pleaded not guilty to the remaining charges.

Last week, Abraham Glick, the former principal of Yeshivah College, changed his evidence and admitted he knew in the early 2000s of rumours that a former security guard had molested children.

Yesterday magistrate Luisa Bazzani said it was ''unfathomable'' that Rabbi Glick did not know about the allegations at the time. Rabbi Glick still teaches at the school.

In a witness statement, Rabbi Glick said he had only recently become aware of accusations against Cyprys.

He also said Yeshivah Centre director Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner had never divulged to him the names of the alleged victims of sexual abuse. But in evidence last week at the contested committal hearing, Rabbi Glick said he wanted to change this statement. He had first said Rabbi Groner had never divulged victims' names.

''There were two times when he named individuals,'' he told the court last week.

The court heard that Cyprys had penetrated a teenager at a family home and allegedly raped the same boy earlier at a bathhouse used for religious ceremonies.

Cyprys was released on bail and ordered to appear in the County Court next month.