More child sexual abuse reported in Victoria

November 14, 2013 by J-Wire
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Child sexual abuse advocacy organisation Tzedek has reported that Melbourne’s Jewish Care has learned from alleged victims of child sexual abuse that new cases have come to light.

Tzedek have released the following statement:

It has come to our attention that a number of courageous alleged victims/survivors have approached Jewish Care Victoria to report that they were sexually abused as children in the care of cottage homes run by its predecessor organisations in the 1960s.

This is the correct file“Based on the widely-accepted statistics that 1 in 3-4 girls and 1 in 5-6 boys experience sexual abuse before the age of 18, these latest revelations are hardly surprising. Sadly the scourge of child sexual abuse impacts every segment of society. Despite what some would prefer to believe, the Jewish community is no different. And no segment within our community is immune from the scourge of child sexual abuse.

It is essential that every allegation of child sexual abuse is addressed comprehensively and with sensitivity.

We commend Jewish Care for undertaking a range of appropriate steps to address these serious allegations. We appreciate the fact that Jewish Care contacted Tzedek to discuss these allegations and their proposed response. We are pleased to report that, in our opinion, Jewish Care is appropriately addressing these allegations. As a result, they have our full and unequivocal support. We look forward to continue to work closely with Jewish Care in addressing these allegations.

We take this opportunity to encourage anyone with information, especially victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, to go to the police. Please contact Tzedek for support and guidance.

The ongoing public awareness campaign around the issue of child sexual abuse is yielding the desired results. Public discourse about the prevalence and impact of child sexual abuse – and subsequent cover-ups – empowers many victims and survivors to find healing, support and justice. Numerous victims and survivors of child sexual abuse continue to confirm this to us, and we feel vindicated in our approach.

We also call upon Jewish community institutions to take all necessary steps to ensure that allegations of child sexual abuse are properly addressed. Moreover, every institution that has any dealings with children must ensure they have appropriate policies and procedures in place to address the issue of child sexual abuse.

We will continue to highlight and commend Jewish community organisations who address this issue appropriately, and be critical of those who do not.

We believe that after decades of silence regarding the issue of child sexual abuse, it is incumbent upon us as a community to right past wrongs. This means full transparency and accountability. While this may be painful in the short-term, it will ensure that we are better-placed to move forward as a stronger community.”

For full disclosure, Tzedek is auspiced by Jewish Care.

Jewish Care said: “Jewish Care Victoria has established an independent support scheme to thoroughly investigate historic claims of institutional child abuse at children’s homes run by predecessor Jewish welfare organisations.

“Three people have contacted us indicating that they were abused in residential care in the 1960s,” the President of Jewish Care Victoria, Mike Debinski, said.

The Board of Jewish Care Victoria has established an independent scheme headed by eminent jurist and academic Professor Louis Waller AO.  Acting pro-bono, Professor Waller will oversee the assessment team led by John Leatherland PSM, who won a Public Service Medal for services to vulnerable families and children. The assessment team will have full access to any available records and personnel.”

Comments

9 Responses to “More child sexual abuse reported in Victoria”
  1. Mrs Waldmann says:

    So Otto your answer is “the great Otto has done nothing”

    And you will do nothing because it’s easier for you to do nothing.

    Did you take that Seroquel?

  2. Mrs Waldmann says:

    http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-15/jewish-leader-charged-over-child-sex-offences/5094890

    More charges yesterday
    Another yeshiva employee

    Otto, perhaps you hate Tzedek and Manny.

    You many even have the right to do .

    So tell us all what has the great Otto done to combat the scourge of child abuse in the Jewish community? What are you doing to educate those at risk. Our children and grandchildren.

    If tzedek and manny are so wrong in their approach (not that you are defending child approach) what are you doing to help the kids that is so right.

    And in the meantime given your apparent horror at statistics ( which shows me your lack of education in the area) go and educate yourself to be of actual use rather than to simply rant incoherently on a topic that you seem to know nothing about.

    Unless of course you are working with the royal commision, working with victims and police and educating children and reporting abusers but doing so so quietly that all the Jewish community have no idea the saviour you are.

    Until then take a Seroquel. Sounds like you need one.

    • Otto Waldmann says:

      “Mrs. Waldmann”
      I sure hope we are not related and also reckon you just made up the name.
      Not impressed with:
      – your lack of originality
      – your command of the English language
      – your poor rationale
      – your feeble and useless attempt at shifting posts.

      I am not objecting to the important fight against child abuse. As a parent myself, it would escape your defective intellect that I welcome any apprehension of child abusers.
      Your idol, Manny ( I reckon actually , Son, Zephaniah style of “writing” and address ) has been abusing the function he performs in protecting our community from the monstruosity of child abuse.
      The Waks group to which I am sure you belong, have created an unhealthy rift in our community and just the manner in which you posted here denotes miopic levels of comprehension and severe absence of intellectual decorum.

      You know what, mate, if I would have detected the slightest sign of child abuse among my Jewsih community I would have been ten times harder than your Manny on them and would have done that on the spot, not decades later.
      Manny had the guts and determination to be a groisse macher in ACT and, once again a big shot with the diplomatic missions organising all kinds of “important” and hard to get conferences. That kind of ticker was more than enough for him to bring out into the public arena a lot earlier these abominable crimes. He only plunged into it once his impressive communal titles were exhausted. He claimed some “fragility’ of the spirit !!! If he knew what I never knew, why did he allow those bastards to continue their crimes for so much longer !!?? There is no need to belt up your son again, just ask him.

  3. Sam says:

    “1 in 3-4 girls and 1 in 5-6 boys experience sexual abuse before the age of 18”

    Not for one moment do I believe such a statement! How are this earth did someone come to that?

    • Otto Waldmann says:

      but hang on a minute, Sam. Tzedek are not only stating that those abominable statistics are real, but they imply that the same figures apply to the Jewish community as well !!!

  4. Otto Waldmann says:

    ….and one more thing.
    Can we not regard as irresponsibly spurious the following Tzedek comment/suggested analogy in regards to the “new cases” ( how many in excess of ONE ) and the known cases in the Jewish community and the”…widely accepted statistics that 1 in 3-4 girls and 1 in 5-6 boys experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18.” as applicable to the Jewish community, particularly based on known data pertaining to education intitutions clearly NON Jewish, where abuses have reached numbers close to the ones mentioned by Tzedek above !!??
    Can an average be applicable to a specific, Mr. Tzedek !! Can someone be as viciously mean !!??

  5. Otto Waldmann says:

    THIS IS NOT IN DEFENCE OF CHILD ABUSERS, but in defence of clarity:

    Messrs. Tzedek, please expalin your statements:

    – “..no segment within our (Jewish ) community is imune from the scourge of child sex abuse”. Is that so ??!! Can we assume that EVERY segment of our community may be found guilty of perpetrating the scourge !!!

    – what is the formal relationship between Tzedek and Jewish Care Victoria, since you state that ” Tzedek is auuspiced by (Victori) Jewish Care.” ?
    Can we see evidence of that formal relationship, as it is understood by Tzedek’s above statement, particularly as the same Vic. Jewish Care state that they have”…established an INDEPENDENT ( our Italics ) support scheme” !!!???
    No Tzedek seen/mentioned anywhere !!!

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