UNITED STATES
The Jewish Press
By: Dr. Michael J. Salamon
Published: December 15th, 2016
A plague of childhood sexual abuse of students by teachers over many years at yeshivot in Australia, and the prodding of Manny Waks, a victim who as an adult became an advocate, led to the appointment several years ago of a Royal Commission to study the situation. Although preliminary findings were issued two years ago, the final commission reports were just released.
Cover-ups on the part of school administrations, rabbis, and the community as a whole were placed under the scrutiny of an objective outside panel of experts who interviewed a wide range of people – rabbis, teachers, victims, professionals, advocates, etc.
The results are scathing.
One of the reports made it clear that children were, in fact, regularly abused. When attempts were made to stop the abuse, the schools failed to act, abusers were protected – and when families attempted to confront the abusers and their protectors, they were victimized all over again.
Additionally, the commission found that the organizational culture at the yeshivot perpetuated a climate that was “conducive to the perpetration of child sexual abuse.”
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