Child Abuse Royal Commission: Sydney Rabbi "Did Not Know" It Was a Crime for an Adult to Touch a Child's Genitals

By Jean Edwards
ABC News
February 6, 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-06/rabbi-did-not-have-a-clue-an-adult-touching-a-child-was-illegal/6076796

A former director of an Orthodox Jewish school says he did not know it was a crime for an adult to touch a child's genitals, the royal commission into child abuse has heard.

Rabbi Yosef Feldman was questioned about the way he dealt with abuse claims against a rabbinical student known as AVL at the Yeshivah Gedolah in Sydney in 2002.

Counsel assisting the Commission Maria Gerace asked: "did you understand that it was against the law for an adult to touch the genitals of another child?"

"I didn't know that as a fact," Rabbi Feldman answered.

The Commission heard AVL admitted lying down and massaging the child.

The rabbi said he "didn't have a clue" that could be a criminal matter.

"My role in general is to look at things from a Jewish perspective, from a religious perspective," Rabbi Feldman said.

"I'm not in the business of thinking about how society would deal with issues."

AVL left the country less than 48 hours after a complaint was made against him in 2002.

Rabbi Feldman is the former president of the Rabbinical Council of New South Wales and the son of Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, who is the head of Sydney's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

He said he was not familiar with child abuse laws despite the fact he was the director of the school for about a decade.

"Obviously, I would have certain obligations. I didn't really know what they were," Rabbi Feldman said.

"I relied on my father."

Child sexual abuse not very common: Rabbi Feldman

Rabbi Feldman told the Commission he did not think child sexual abuse was a widespread problem.

"There are many issues of life, and child sex abuse I didn't believe was something that's very common at all, and even now I don't believe it's common. It happens," he said.

"I haven't seen the statistics, but I think it would be ... about five to 10 per cent ... based on things that I've read about it."

Rabbi Feldman said he was not aware of the issue of child sexual abuse or mandatory reporting obligations in 2002.

Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald asked: "are you saying to the Commission that notwithstanding you were a director of a school, an ordinary school, you had no knowledge at all of the issue of child sexual abuse, nor of the requirements that existed in New South Wales at that time, is that your evidence?''

"Correct," Rabbi Feldman replied.

"At the time, I must be honest with you, that I may have not been aware."

The Commission heard Rabbi Feldman had no formal training in how to recognise and respond to allegations of child sexual abuse.

The rabbi was strongly criticised in 2011 for questioning whether child molestation should be immediately reported to the police, in an email to other rabbis.