Hayman: 19 months suspended sentence
Daniel Hayman has received a 19-month suspended sentence for the indecent assault of a then 14-year-old boy at the Yeshiva Camp Gan Israel at Stanwell Tops, Sydney in the 1980s.
49-yr-old Hayman pleaded guilty to the charge during the trial in May.
A spokesperson for child sexual abuse advocacy group, Liat Winer, stated:“Today is another important milestone in the ongoing child sexual abuse scandal within the Australian Jewish community. Today’s sentencing is the first within a Jewish institution outside of Victoria.
We commend the courageous victim in pursuing this matter and acknowledge the courage and pain of the two other complainants.
We understand the many challenges that exist in the context of historic cases of child sexual abuse – for victims and their families, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and other relevant stakeholders. But importantly, today’s sentencing sends out a clear message that offenders will be pursued irrespective of when the crime took place.
What we cannot understand is the ongoing intimidation and shunning of victims and their families by certain segments of our community. In the case of Mr Hayman’s victim, it was made clear in his powerful Victim Impact Statement that members of his ultra-Orthodox community in Melbourne subjected him to precisely this type of abuse. This is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. Sadly he is not alone in being re-victimised as a victim of child sexual abuse, nor is the Melbourne ultra-Orthodox community the only community to use such tactics.
We encourage anyone with information in relation to this or any other case of child sexual abuse and/or cover-ups to come forward and disclose this information to the authorities and/or the Royal Commission. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us – please don’t turn a blind eye.”
Tzedek will continue its call on the Yeshiva Centre to clarify Mr Hayman’s responsibility for children in his various volunteer capacities during his extended time at the Centre and furthermore to clarify who had been made aware of the allegations and what actions were taken by this institution.
For us as a community to move forward, we must demand answers from those who knew or ought to have known what happened. We can’t move forward without acknowledging what happened in the past. The victims and their families need it, and deserve this. Our community needs it, and deserves this. It is a case of short term pain for long term gain. We believe that justice and truth will prevail. In the meantime, we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who are alleged to have sexually abused children and their enablers.
Tzedek is in a position to assist, support and advise victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and their families, just as we continue to do so with many others.
A spokesperson for the Yeshiva Centre told J-Wire. “We stand by our original statement. Mr Hayman did not have responsibility for the children.”
In November 2013, the Yeshiva Centre issued the following statement: “Mr Daniel Hayman was arrested yesterday on charges of child sexual abuse allegations from more than 25 years ago.
Mr Hayman attended Yeshiva Synagogue to pray or for classes but was never an employee or teacher at the Yeshiva Centre. Any volunteer work that he offered Yeshiva did not include responsibility for children.
As part of a commitment to the highest standards of care for our pupils, our school Yeshiva College has comprehensive child protection policies in place. Those policies and procedures are constantly being reviewed and updated to ensure maximum safety and protection for our students.
The Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA) has issued a statement following the sentencing.
“ORA applauds the courage of victims who have the strength to come forward to the appropriate authorities and encourages victims who are able to do so, as well as those with information about the perpetration of child sexual abuse, to approach the police and child protection authorities.
During this tumultuous and very difficult time with an escalation of disclosures about child sexual abuse it is important for the community to be aware that it is a criminal offence under the Judicial Proceedings Reports Act 1958 (Vic) to disclose the name of an individual who has made a disclosure to the Police in relation to being a victim of child sexual abuse.
As a community we must encourage reporting of such crimes to police and ensure that victims feel safe and not in any way marginalised for taking the brave step to disclose such personal, sensitive and demoralising information to the police.
As a community let us all resolve to steer clear from spreading rumours and talking about others in a derogatory manner and let us work towards eradicating the scourge of child sexual abuse and towards bringing peace and harmony to our community and beyond.”
It is incomprehensible that Hayman got to walk away from a jail sentence (though as the Judge said he was regrettably bound by the laws of the time the offence was committed). I cannot imagine a parent anywhere that would not say that predatory behaviour is in the worst category of crime. As someone who (justifiably) spent time in jail for drug related matters, I am well positioned to say that the Haymans of the world are treated as the lowest form of scum by all inmates. I am further outraged at the audacity of Hayman that he should pay such blatant disrespect reading psalms whilst being addressed by the Court – why he thinks he ought to have protection from God when he himself fiddled with children beggars belief. Many of us will remember this idiot from school – berating other students for not being religious enough. Well he avoided jail – let’s hope he shoots back to the U.S – I will do my best to locate the sex offenders register there and do my best to have him installed – so at least the children in his area may be safe and the parents alert to the risk.
It is the responsibility of an organization to protect children who spend time in that organization. People who abuse children can be staff, volunteers, fellow community members, visitors, other children and ancillary staff such as cleaners, gardeners etc.
Surely by now, the main issue is that a child was abused.
“The persons who abused the child attended to pray or for classes” There is much that an organization can and should do to protect children from those who attend to pray or for classes. What was in place to minimize the risk of ANYONE abusing this child? Was an older person allowed unsupervised access to younger children? Are interaction between children and others always visible? Did anyone see signs of grooming? Were fellow community members trained to recognize signs of abuse? If so did they have the knowledge and confidence to do something? I can go on and on.
I am so disappointed that after all this time the Yeshiva Centre told J-Wire. “We stand by our original statement. Mr Hayman did not have responsibility for the children.” A child was abused. I believe that it is the responsibility of the organization to ensure that the children who spend time in that organization are safe – from all those who could harm a child.
This rulling is really worrying !
What message does it send to our society, not the right one i am shore. The judge should be educated to the effects of child sexual abuse.
I believe whoever can should write to the Minister of Justice in N.S.W. And complained about the inappropriate message this sends to people thinking of abusing children?
Brad Hazzard
[email protected]