Brooklyn DA: Intimidation in Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Sex Abuse Cases Worse Than Mob Cases

NEW YORK
WNYC

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

By Ailsa Chang

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes continued to defend his office’s record on sex abuse cases in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community at an unrelated press conference Wednesday. He said the victim intimidation in that community is worse than what he’s seen in organized crime and police corruption cases over his nearly two-decade career.

“I haven’t seen this kind of intimidation in organized crime cases or police corruption, and the reason for that is in organized crime cases, I can get witness protection,” Hynes Explained. “In police intimidation cases, I can protect them as well.”

The New York Times and some Jewish publications reported that Hynes doesn’t pursue sexual abuse cases against Ultra-Orthodox Jewish suspects as aggressively as he does others because of his political ties to the community. The reports have also claimed Hynes failed to intervene when an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish organization told him that followers had to get permission from a rabbi before reporting allegations of sex abuse to authorities.

Hynes has maintained that a significant hurdle in sex abuse cases involving Orthodox Jews is that the community cares more about protecting suspects than victims.

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