ROYAL Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse : Progressives Have Their Say

J-Wire
February 10, 2015

http://www.jwire.com.au/royal-commission-institutional-responses-child-sexual-abuse-progressives-say/

The Progressive Rabbinic Council of Australia, Asia and New Zealand and the Union for Progressive Judaism have stated their position on statements made at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Signed by Stephen Freeman, president of the UPJ and Rabbi Adi Cohen, Chairman of Moetzah, the statement reads:

“The Rabbis of the Moetzah (the Progressive Rabbinic Council of Australia, Asia and New Zealand) and the leadership of the Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ) object to any attempt to use Jewish tradition or Jewish Law in order to cover up child sexual abuse, or any crime at all.

Both organisations encourage victims of any kind of abuse to seek the help and support provided by the local and statutory authorities. During the past few years we have faced too many cases of child sexual abuse within the Jewish community in Australia. Sadly the victims of those crimes suffered not only from being violated by people they trusted as their spiritual leaders, but also from social pressure from their own congregations in an attempt to prevent them from reporting the crimes to the authorities. This is nothing less than abusing Jewish law in order to create a code of silence.

The Moetzah and the UPJ call upon all Jewish congregations and organisations to take responsibility for past events and to commit themselves to prevent future ones. Each person and organisation must obey civil and criminal law and must also act in accordance with Jewish ethics.

The Moetzah and the UPJ offer full support to the victims and hope that their pain and sorrow will be eased.”