ISRAEL
The Jerusalem Post
By AARON LEIBOWITZ
01/11/2012 23:07
Our Jerusalem neighborhood of Nahlaot made the news over the past week, with a flurry of reports that police have busted a horrifying pedophilia ring. Initial arrests were made Sunday, with more expected in the coming weeks. The story is a horrific tale of sexual and physical violence against children.
But none of this was news to those of us who live in the area. Since last summer we have been hearing about pedophiles living among us. One social services worker told me that over 100 names of abused children have been mentioned in official interviews with children who have been victimized. Worse, he also told me that there are many suspects still at large, including several individuals they “know” are guilty but do not have sufficient admissible evidence to prosecute.
The official also told me that sexual assaults against Nahlaot children continues to this day.
The first complaints of rape and molestation of children, some as young as one year old, were reported to police in 2010. Investigators have also stated unequivocally that the families of the victims are fully cooperating. Considering these facts, how can it be that children are still being harmed?
IN MY role as a community rabbi, families have told me that while the police and state prosecutor’s office admit that this is a story involving many victims and many pedophiles, they claim the community has overstated the problem and that we are reacting hysterically. Their crass dealing with the issue begs the question: How many children have to be raped and endure horrific physical and emotional abuse in order to justify so-called “hysteria”?
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