Move to extradite US Yeshiva teacher underway
Moves are underway in the U.S. city of St Louis to extradite sex offender David Kramer to Australia to be questioned on complaints made that he had allegedly sexually abused children at Melbourne’s Yeshivah College.
David Kramer
Kramer, 51, was released from Missouri State prison on April 22. U.S. marshals were waiting for him at the prison’s gates and transferred him to a Federal prison where he now must wait for the outcome of a court bid being made to send the former teacher to Melbourne to face police enquiries relating to the sexual abuse of four boys aged 10 and 11 between 1989 and 1992 when Kramer worked at the college.
Matt Chase, one of Kramer’s legal representatives, told J-Wire that Kramer had appeared in court on Friday for hearings. No Australian official was in the U.S. District Court but Chase told J-Wire that the country was represented by the Federal Prosecutor, John Ware, the assistant U.S. attorney representing the Government. Ware has filed documents stating that there are no grounds on which to release Kramer on bail.
He said: “These early hearings include a consideration by the judge as to whether or not he will release Kramer on bond pending the extradition hearing”.
He said: “With vacation time approaching, it’s unlikely that any decision will be made before late July or early August.” When asked how long the process is expected to date, Matt Chase: “I honestly don’t know. This is my first case of extradition. This is the judge’s first case of extradition and the prosecutor told me he didn’t have a lot of experience. It’s not a massively detailed case and there is not that match to consider. This is not a jury trial and it’s not a criminal action…it’s a civil action.” He added that paperwork had to be done before the extradition hearing would take place.
Matt Chase said that Kramer appears to be “a generally cheerful and calm person…as I have always known him to be.”
Melbourne’s “The Age” had reported that parents were aware of the abuse but were unwilling to go to the police. At the time of the offences, Kramer mysteriously left Australia.
Chase said that there would be no indication as to when the actual hearing would take place “until at least early July”. He indicated that the hearing could probably take place about mid-August as most lawyers in St Louis are on summer holiday.
Chase told St Louis Today that Kramer had been charged by police with the offences in December last year.
David Kramer was born in the US but has also Israeli citizenship. He lived in Israel for ten years after leaving Australia before returning to the US. In 2007, he was charged by St Louis County prosecutors with sexual misconduct and statutory sodomy. Kramer pleased guilty and was sentenced to seven years in State prison.
In documents presented to the court, Assistant US Attorney Ware stated that there is sufficient evidence to have him extradited.
Rabbi Ben Kamin, in todays Jewish World, under the heading: Whistle blowers who protect children must not be ostracized.
Only A Jewish Rabbi could speak with such emotion with familiar Jewish connections.
How fortunate you are, apart from civil law, not to be answerable to any other than God.
With no Canon Laws or doctrines of mental reservations to protect the image of your tradition. There will be those who discredit the doctrine mentioned and I can live with that: but one only has to look up the words under Irish Abuse and Murphy Report, the cases before the Federal Law in Philadelphia could be included, it can’t be proven in Australia as yet, maybe after the Parliament Inquiry [or other being called for]
We’ve had our ‘whistleblowers’ too, Fr Maurie Crocker for one, NSW Parliament
Ajournment of Condolence, he was ostracized so badly as a priest he took his own life, such is the Catholic culture, directly or indirectly.
Stay free, transparent and fearless and in Rabbi Ben Kamin’s words: not locking kids into a spiritual ghetto.