Paedophile Jewish Scholar Left Victims Terrified after Campaign of Sexual Abuse – and Tried to Flee to Israel to Escape Prosecution
By Chris Osuh
A religious scholar who fled to Israel after he was exposed as a paedophile was branded an ‘utter hypocrite’ as he was jailed for over 13 years. Todros Grynhaus fled Manchester in February 2013 and tried to exploit Israel’s ‘Law of Return’ to get citizenship and escape prosecution here. But in a landmark ruling top judges in Israel, where he arrived with false papers, rejected his case and deported him back to the UK to face justice in September last year. His conviction for sex offences against girls in Greater Manchester has led to a change in attitudes in the Haredi Jewish community, the court heard, and prompted the country’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, to urge members to report child sex abuse. As the son of rabbi, a teacher of scripture, a successful businessman and father-of-ten, Grynhaus enjoyed high standing in Salford’s tight-knit ultra-Orthodox community. But behind closed doors he subjected a teenage girl to a campaign of abuse, Manchester Crown Court heard. He tried to force her into a sex act, telling her ‘you might as well make yourself useful’. For the next three years the young girl was repeatedly groped by Grynhaus, who even took her to a hotel and molested her in the jacuzzi. Another teenage victim was abused over a three-month period by Grynhaus, who was found guilty of seven sex offences between 1996 and 2004. He had maintained his innocence in two trials, the first ending with a hung jury, the second with a conviction, only admitting what he had done after he was found guilty. Grynhaus, 50, formerly of Castleton Road, Salford, has now been jailed for 13 years and two months, with an extended licence period of four years for the public protection. He must pay the first victim ?45,000 in compensation, another ?35,000 - and he must pay ?35,000 in prosecution costs. Manchester Crown Court heard both women had been ‘ostracised’ by their community as a result of speaking out about their ordeals. Both have suffered ‘serious psychological harm’ - but braved the process because they feared Grynhaus would harm other children if he wasn’t stopped. In a statement, the woman who was abused over three years said: “We live in a relatively small community - he made sure everyone knew it was me making these’ ridiculous allegations of abuse’. Be under no illusions as to the toll this has taken on our standing in the community. We were ostracised by many parts of this community and even gave serious consideration to moving away from the country. “Not once but twice I had to ensure the humiliating experience of going through my statement in court, I had to relive the traumas and recount all the filthy” things he did to me. His holy friends even sat in court, adding to my embarrassment, trying to make me even more humiliated and uncomfortable than I already was. I had to defend myself from allegations I was making the whole thing up.” Grynhaus second victim said all aspects of her life had been ‘tainted by his touch’. She said: ”I’m constantly afraid. His position in the community means my entire belief system is lost. He was a respected teacher, his activities were ignored by rabbis - how can I belong to the community when people like that are still in power?” Jonathan Goldberg QC, defending, said Grynhaus had sought treatment in Israel for his ‘tendencies to misbehave’, was now ‘older and wiser’, and hadn’t committed offences since the sex offences, which he described as ‘touching, kissing, interference - and a great deal of generally inappropriate and smutty behaviour’. Mr Goldberg said Grynhaus offences were ‘at the mild end of the scale’, adding that he had not used force or violence, and had stopped when the girls asked him to. He added that Grynhaus's ‘public face was good’ - conceding that ‘people couldn’t know his darker psychosexual side’. “Part of the punishment for this man is of course the shame and exposure and social ostracisation within his own community,” Mr Goldberg added. Mr Goldberg went on to describe the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to deport Grynhaus as a ‘landmark judgement’, where the court had ruled ‘we are not going to be a repository for Jewish criminals from other countries’. “Jail time is hard time for Haredi Jews”, he went on. “They have a very distinctive appearance, their daily routine involving as much prayer as it does, is distinctive and they receive unwelcome attention from other inmates. Unless they are lucky enough to find a person of the same persuasion in their immediate custody they find it difficult to make friends or pass the time the way other prisoners can. He is now on the vulnerable prisoners wing and is incarcerated for 23 hours a day on the wing.” Mr Justice Holroyde told Grynhaus: “All the offences involved a grave breach of trust. Both were vulnerable by reason of their young age. You took cynical advantage of their vulnerability.” The judge added that the abuse had ‘profound and lasting harm’ on the victims, who are both undergoing counselling, and that ‘their personal relationships had been severely affected’. “You have in addition, harmed them in their religion. This was a refined degree of cruelty on your part, and you knew what harm you would cause. “You are an utter hypocrite. You professed your religion whilst giving yourself licence to abuse those who were under your care; The evidence at trial was that the Haredi community is changing its attitude to allegations of sexual abuse, and is becoming more willing to acknowledge that such crimes require investigation by the police. “I was glad to hear that evidence, and I was glad to read after the trial the wise words of the Chief Rabbi making emphatically clear that allegations of this nature must be taken seriously and must not be hidden away from outside investgation. Sentencing him for seven sex assaults, including specimen counts which reflect a course of conduct, as well as the Bail Act offence, the judge described him as an intelligent and highly manipulative liar who knew the consequences of his ‘wicked actions’. Det Sgt Joanne Kay said: “Grynhaus had gained the trust of his victims before sexually assaulting and abusing them. He thought he could get away with his crime but thanks to their bravery in coming forward and supporting this investigation, we have been able to prosecute him. “This case goes to show no matter when the offence took place, justice will eventually catch up with you. We take all sexual crime reports extremely seriously and victims will be supported by specialist officers thorough out the investigation. If you have been a victim, please do not suffer in silence and call police. “I would also ask those who may be aware of such crimes taking place within their community to report them to police. All reports will be treated with the strictest of confidence.”
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