AUSTRALIA
The Age
December 11, 2012
Barney Zwartz
TWO paedophiles – one reportedly the youngest person ever put on the Victorian Sex Offenders Register – were ”roaming the Jewish community” with most members utterly unaware, the state inquiry into how religious groups handled child sex abuse was told on Monday.
Community leader and abuse whistleblower Manny Waks said there was overwhelming evidence that child sexual abuse was endemic in the Jewish community and ”the appalling way in which it has been mishandled”, including credible claims of continuing cover-ups.
He said that in the few months since his written submission there had been more serious allegations of child sexual abuse. ”Worse, in all of these new cases, those in positions of authority attempted to cover up these crimes.”
Mr Waks, a former vice-president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, last year became the first Jewish victim to publicly tell the story of his abuse, at Yeshivah College in Melbourne more than 20 years ago. He gave evidence with his father, Zephaniah Waks, but Family and Community Development committee chairwoman Georgie Crozier suppressed Mr Waks senior’s testimony.
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