|
Senior orthodox Jewish rabbi David Groner ...
By Shannon Deery
Senior orthodox Jewish rabbi David Groner accused of shunning child sex abuse claims A LEADING rabbi accused of involvement in a string of child sex crime cover ups within the orthodox Jewish community will escape giving evidence at the royal commission into child sexual abuse. The commission has started a two-week hearing investigating the way Yeshivah centres in Melbourne and Bondi in Sydney responded to allegations of abuse. But leading Yeshivah figure Rabbi Boruch Lesches, one of Australia’s most senior Orthodox Jews for more than 25 years, won’t be called to answer allegations he turned a blind eye to abuse. Despite numerous attempts to contact the New York based rabbi, he has ignored requests to appear at the hearing. Frustrated officials offered to arrange for Rabbi Lesches to appear via video link but have received no response from him. They have no power to compel him to attend but reportedly tried to contact him through his son, Rabbi Shmuel Lesches, who lives in Melbourne. Victims say the refusal to attend undermines the integrity of the commission and casts doubt over whether or not senior Jewish figures are serious about tackling the scourge of historical sexual abuse. “Anybody in his position should man up, admit he didn’t know how to handle the problem, and apologise,” one source said. Rabbi Lesches stands accused of failing to deal with several complaints about sexual assault allegations including complaints about convicted sex abuser Daniel Hayman in the 1980s. It is understood he remains a close associate of the Hayman family, with Daniel Hayman’s older brother holding the position of president at Rabbi Lesches’s synagogue. The Hayman family have also made generous financial contributions to Rabbis Lesches’s congregation. Top rabbi ignored sex abuse - victim The commission was told Melbourne’s most senior orthodox rabbi, Rabbi David Groner, shunned the mother of a sexual abuse victim when he learned of plans to report the abuse to police. The victim, known only as AVA, told the hearing he was kicked out of Elsternwick’s Yeshivah College after the allegations were made while his abuser, David Cyprys, stayed employed there for 20 years. It was alleged that of 25 accused sexual abusers from within the orthodox Jewish community across Australia, 15 were from Yeshivah in Melbourne. “The Yeshivah Centre and Yeshivah College knew that David was molesting me. And it went on for another two years after they were told,” he said. “They had a duty of care to me and I believe they are responsible for preventing that abuse. “I don’t care how cured they thought he was. You dont leave anybody with that sort of inclination near kids.” The man said his mother first complained to Yeshivah leader Rabbi David Groner about the abuse in 1986 but said nothing was done. Instead he allegedly told her: “I thought we had fixed him.” When, in 2002, she told him her son was planning to go to the police and was suicidal, he responded: “We have nothing more to talk about.” The man said the abuse continued for years after it was reported despite assurances from Rabbi Groner that it would stop. Rabbi Groner died in 2008. Cyrprys was jailed for eight years for molesting nine young students at Yeshivah. He was first found guilty of indecent assault against a minor in 1991 but was again allowed to work at the college. Whistleblower and founder of victims support group Tzedek, Manny Waks, was also abused by Cyprys. He told the hearing that after he went public with his story of abuse, Yeshivah management refused to meet with him. He said after going public with his story he received hate mail. “Just because a security guard molested you, dont blame Yeshivah. get over it. You need counselling. Most people consider you a low life,” one letter said. The hearing continues. Contact: shannon.deery@news.com.au
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.