AUSTRALIA
The Age
[with video]
February 9, 2016 –
Timna Jacks
Education Reporter
Yeshivah Centre abuse victims still fear they will be bullied and ostracised if they disclose their abuse, one year after widespread cover-ups and intimidation of victims was revealed at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Fairfax Media is aware of at least four Yeshivah victims who have refused to take compensation from the centre, in protest against its new redress scheme.
They don’t trust the new scheme, fearing that their confidential disclosures will be handled poorly, or leaked to third parties, which they fear might lead to harassment and ostracisation.
Jewish Care Victoria – an organisation engaged by Yeshivah to receive initial inquiries from survivors of abuse – has already breached one victim’s trust, after a private email sent to the board of Jewish Care was leaked to a board member at Yeshivah.
“This identifies me to Yeshivah – that was the last thing that I want,” said the victim, who did not want to be named.
“Yeshivah, and in particular, its leadership, has a terrible history of bullying and harassing victims and the last thing victims want is to be identified to Yeshivah, because of that history.”
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