Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse : Day 6

By Roz Tarszisz
J-Wire
February 9, 2015

http://www.jwire.com.au/royal-commission-institutional-responses-child-sexual-abuse-day-6/

Rabbi Yossef Feldman

Rabbi Yossef Feldman completes his evidence…and another victim reads his statement.

The Yeshiva Centre rabbi who made public his support of a resolution that encouraged child sexual abuse victims to come foward to civil authorities was not happy with the identity of a perpetrator of child sex abuse being made public.

He also had difficulty with the idea of a perpetrator going to prison 25 years after the offences took place.

Rabbi Yosef Feldman made a public statement in July 2011 via The Australian Jewish News in which he clarified his personal views.  He stated unequivocally that there were no longer any grey areas on the issue of mesira (non reporting to authorities). This meant that victims of child sexual abuse should definitely go to civil authorities without fear of retribution from within the Jewish community.

After lengthy questioning by Counsel assisting the Commission, Maria Gerace, Feldman said that he would prefer that publicity was not given to child sexual abuse cases as he feared it could encourage non-genuine , or “fake” victims to come forward.

Feldman appeared to have been fixated on whether public statements by the Rabbinical Council of Victoria and both the Sydney and Melbourne Beth Dins were the catalyst that propelled child abuse victims to come forward.  He appears convinced that encouraging people to come forward is not a good thing and might “encourage people to give false accusations.”

In emails read to the Commission, Feldman had invited other rabbis for their view of the issue.

Rabbi Feldman, a contemporary and friend of David Cyprus (convicted in 2014 of child sex abuse offences) had contacted AVB, a child victim of Cyprus, by email.  Feldman would not disclose to AVB how he had found out that AVB had come forward and pressed him as to whether public statements had caused AVB to come forward.

Victim AVR read his statement to the Court. He arrived at Yeshiva College, Melbourne, over the summer break in December 1990-January 1991 His mother was ill and he was given a scholarship.  Cyprus was caretaker and AVR was told to go to him with any questions or problems that he had. AVR said he looked to Cyprus as a role model and was innocent of sexual matters.

Eventually he told his mother he had been abused but not the full extent of the abuse. When she travelled to the College to see the rabbis, Rabbi Glick told them that AVR’s scholarship had been cancelled.

Feldman said that he had reservations about the law but was prepared to put them aside.  When asked what he would want the law to be he said that “I think the law should be stronger on  repentance.”

He read a statement in which he apologised to victims on behalf of himself and other rabbis.
“I have followed the evidence of the victims of sexual abuse at this hearing and I have read their statements. I have been affected by that evidence.

I agree wholeheartedly with the statement my father gave yesterday.

I am also deeply sorry for the pain that they have experienced as a result of the vilification and abuse from the community for having reported or publicised that abuse.

I agree without qualification that it is obligatory to immediately report all allegations of sexual abuse to the police.

I agree that such an obligation arises whenever sexual abuse is alleged to have occurred and whatever the form of that sexual abuse.

I agree that people in the Jewish community should be encouraged to report child sexual abuse to the police without being subjected to bullying or being labelled a moshef.

I agree that rabbis should receive training in how to identify, handle and report child sexual abuse and educate our community about child sexual abuse. It is our duty to convey to whole community that victims of sexual abuse should be reported.

It is our duty as rabbis to convey to the community that victims of sexual abuse who have complained to the police should be supported.

I regret that anything I have said or written in the past about child sexual abuse that has caused any pain or suffering.. I have to apologise publicly for what I have said or written about Manny Waks .

Basically I am sorry that my words caused hurt to anyone and I apologise, especially to child sexual abuse victims. It was never my intention to cause hurt to anyone , and I sincerely apologise for that especially to victims of child sexual abuse which is a heinous crime and can be compared to murder”.

I believe all rabbis would have the same view.”

He claims he has been defamed by some misreporting of his evidence to the Commission  and has  received worldwide condemnation.

The Commission has been sitting in Melbourne’s County Court.

Rabbi Feldman has been instructed to return at a future date to inform the Commission what steps the College has taken in regard to child sex abuse education for students and for himself.