Teacher Not Reported for Molesting Children Reoffends in US

By Rachel Baxendale
The Australian
July 17, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/teacher-extradited-for-molesting-children-reoffends-in-us/story-e6frg6nf-1226680762265

David Kramer pleaded guilty to child molestation sex offences that took place at a Melbourne school.

A JEWISH Orthodox school in Melbourne failed to report a teacher's molestation of four boys in the early 1990s to police, enabling the man to leave Australia and reoffend overseas, the Victorian County Court has heard.

David Kramer, 52, pleaded guilty to five charges of indecent assault and one of indecent acts with a child in relation to incidents which occurred at Yeshivah College in St Kilda East.

The American, whose elderly parents, ex-wife and 11 adolescent and adult children live in Israel, admitted to groping the four boys through their clothing between 1990 and 1992.

Prosecutor Brett Sonnet told a plea hearing today (Wednesday) that Yeshivah College had initially declined to sack Kramer, out of concern for his welfare, until angry parents staged a protest outside his house, across the road from the school.

In 1993, the school finally opted not to renew his work visa, and Kramer returned to his family in Israel.

Following the breakdown of his marriage, Kramer moved to the United States and worked as a computer technician, before being jailed in 2008 for sexual offences against a child in Missouri.

Mr Kramer's lawyer Tim Marsh said the school had engaged in a cover-up, and instead of being investigated, Kramer was "quietly shuffled out the back door to Israel.''

Outside court, Jewish child sexual abuse survivor and advocate Manny Waks described Mr Kramer's arraignment - as the first employee of a Jewish institution in Australia to plead guilty to child sex crimes - as "monumental'' for the Jewish community.

"There are a number of court cases happening as we speak,'' Mr Waks said.

"There are numerous investigations around the country. So hopefully this sends out a strong message to perpetrators. No matter when the crimes were committed, justice will prevail.''

Mr Waks also said Yeshivah College had to accept some responsibility for the fact that Mr Kramer had reoffended overseas.

He called upon former principal Rabbi Abraham Glick, who is still employed at the school and was in charge of student welfare until earlier this year, to stand down and apologise unequivocally to the victims.
Mr Kramer was remanded to appear for sentencing on July 24.