Weberman Victim Speaks Out

Rabbi Nechemya Weberman's accusor, who recently turned 18, shot back at his supporters, who once rallied for him by the hundreds: "When they think about me, they should think about how they would feel if it where their daughter. Would they let them be abused? Or would they stop it?…You have to fight it all the way. You can't be scared…You can't be scared of being kicked out of the community. This is the beginning of the changes.”

Rabbi Nechemya Weberman

The Daily News has a long detailed article on the Rabbi Nechemya Weberman verdict that includes quotes from Weberman's victim. Here's an excerpt:

…“How did the jury listen to someone who hates the community so much?" fumed Joel Weinstock, 31, a close family friend of Weberman. "The people in this community are so hurt."

Weberman's accusor, who recently turned 18, shot back at his supporters, who once rallied for him by the hundreds: "When they think about me, they should think about how they would feel if it where their daughter. Would they let them be abused? Or would they stop it?”…
 
"You have to fight it all the way. You can't be scared," she said. "You can't be scared of being kicked out of the community. This is the beginning of the changes.”…

The victim testified she and her family were harassed and shunned for coming forward; her father lost his business and her nieces were kicked out of school.…

Comments

[Sarah]

May he rot in prison with a cellmate named Bubba.

[Slacker]

This poor girl who has suffered so much deserves tremendous praise for her bravery. Hopefully she can inspire other victims of similar abuse to come forward too.

I wish her and her family well. May they have the strength to recover from their terrible ordeal and build for themselves a life of happiness and fulfilment.

[Runner1983]

"The victim testified she and her family were harassed and shunned for coming forward; her father lost his business and her nieces were kicked out of school.…"

The Satmar cult is evil. This has nothing to do with the practice of religion, but maintaining the power of the Satmar leadership, who are accountable to no one. To punish the relatives of the victim because she came forward is despicable and shameful. I feel really sorry for those born into this cult. Because they do not properly educate their children and do not expose them to the real world growing up, it is very hard for them to leave the cult. If the haredi culture was valid and right, it could withstand the influences of the outside world. Obviously not.

Those Satmars who tried to buy off or intimidate a witness should get 20+ year sentences.They are not practicing Judaism, but something else. They are an embarrassment.

[David]

As I understand it the victim is already married (Mazel Tov!). I wonder if it would have been a different scenario if she was not already married as she might not have been able to get a shidduch if she was known to have gone to a secular court.

[DJ]

Hopefully she can inspire other victims of similar abuse to come forward too.

Whats to stop others to come forward who were not victims but simply want a piece of the money pie that is sure to follow? After all no physical evidence has to be shown. All that one would have to be able to document was that they were seen together with or were in his house or company with or even a neighbor.

[JessicaR]

Whats to stop others to come forward who were not victims but simply want a piece of the money pie that is sure to follow? After all no physical evidence has to be shown. All that one would have to be able to document was that they were seen together with or were in his house or company with or even a neighbor.

Posted by: DJ | December 11, 2012 at 07:18 AM

No one disputes that he took the girl on an all-day trip alone. Her mother found out and expressed disapproval at the time. Weberman bullied her into an apology.

The fact that Weberman violated basic rules of conduct--and no one doubts that this happened-- is a form of independent evidence.

Normal adults do not want to socialize with twelve-year-olds. Not all day. Not in violation of cultural and professional norms. I had doubts about his guilt too until I read about that trip and the lingerie. There is too much wrong here.

[SMR]

Weberman was just convicted of sex crimes (felony).

There is zero chance that he ends up in the Otisville minyan with Rubashkin (et al).
Otisville is minimum/medium security prison.

Do I have that correct?

[Moshe aron kestenbaum, Williamsburg]

She is a courageous woman. She has faced opposition from all the satmar parties and has remained unflinching in the face of countless personal attacks on her.
Looking forward to buying her book on this parsha, and i wish her it should be a hit and be on the New Yorks Time Best seller list.

[Mike Kats]

I also like the quote where she said: God was my witness.

Of course, this blog didn't see it as news to mention God.

[Lawrence M. Reisman]

SMR: Otisville is a federal prison. Weberman was convicted in a state court and will go to a state prison. Chances are he'll go to Sing Sing. That's where they keep the "violent" frummies.

[elizabeth]

this is truly a chanukah miracle! my prayers go out the girl and her family after going through such a horrendous experience, i hope this encourages other victims to come forward, as to the satmar rebbe who supported the convict and made vicious attacks on the victim he should be sued for slander and his furry hat taken away and his beard sheared off!

[AL GORE NISHT]

I just heard from DA office that they are sending weberman to a prison in Quatar to get castrated.

[Egg]

TO WEBERMAN'S ACCUSER:

WE LOVE YOU!

Thank you for being a voice for those who are intimidated or frightened into silence.

I hope this will be the catalyst for others to come forward. Your courage, grace, and sheer willpower are an inspiration to us all.

As a survivor myself, I want to say thank you for, in a small way, making me feel vindicated. I wish I had your bravery. Behind you all the way.

[shoshy]

As I understand it the victim is already married (Mazel Tov!). I wonder if it would have been a different scenario if she was not already married as she might not have been able to get a shidduch if she was known to have gone to a secular court.

Posted by: David | December 11, 2012 at 06:54 AM

She just got married in October 2012. The court case started well before that. He was arrested in Feb. 2011 and the trial was supposed to start last spring but got delayed.

[Eli, what me messiah?]

Shmarya, maybe you could offer for her to write a guest post on FM? She will have many defenders who understand and appreciate the courage she has shown.

[Alter Kocker]

Karma; What goes round comes round.

Weberman is a rapist and pedophile while on the outside. He was a "respected" part of his community.

On the inside, as a convicted pedophile & rapist, he will be at the bottom rung of the prison food chain. He will be victimized, beaten, raped and made to pay for his crimes in ways that a civil court would be unable to provide.

Good! Justice will then have been served.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Soon there will be a campaign for Weberman, just like for SMR.

[rebeljew]

Hachazona ya'aseh et achotainu?

[Rational Seaweed]

God sent the earthquake to Haiti because of voodoo.
God sent hurricane Sandy to New York because of same-sex marriage.
God sent retribution to Satmar because of ______________.

[MalachHamovies]

At least he didn't shake her hand. lol. I am sure weberman thought that would have been worse then what he actually did.

[Seaslipper.wordpress.com]

The other day a chasid came to my door asking for a donation. I laughed at him. I said, what are you going to use it for, to abuse children? He went nuts of course, because these people are nuts.

[flatearth]

The News has a picture of him right after the verdict

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/satmar-leader-weberman-guilty-molesting-girl-article-1.1217092

By the way, isn't his Lawyer (presumed) dressed a bit immodestly?

[a]

Soon there will be a campaign for Weberman, just like for SMR.

Posted by: Yochanan Lavie | December 11, 2012 at 09:49 AM

I don't think so. Paying ranchers late and overstating net worth is one thing, raping a girl is another - but what do I know.

[Lora]

This is NOT a question of religion. as it is a known fact Sexual abuse doesn't discrimnate against any religion, ethnicity, nationality or gender! to the woman who came forward may you be blessed with peace, happiness and success in all your endeavors. and please remember you have MANY paople whom you've inspired in MANY ways! I hope now youand your family can move on and be happy!

[Mike Kats]

Lora, tell this to our so called Jewish anti religious brother's.

Unfortunately, as a religious person, I have more in common with a non-Jewish common sense person (Not to mention our 80m evangelical christen brother’s in the south) then with the fanatical Jewish atheist’s.

[Runner1983]

DJ, you religious practice is the only one that I know of in the western world where you are more concerned about the reputation in individuals than you are about the victim, and potential victims if the perpetrator is not stopped. Shame on you and your fellow religionists who believe this.

Come out of the Middle Ages and join the modern world. Let the police investigates this type of crime. Don't threaten the family whose child reported the crime. Don't bribe witnesses. And if by exposing your children to a proper education, the Internet and modern society in general out of fear it will undermine your haredi culture, perhaps the culture is not worth defending.

[Bas Melech]

@JessicaR
Well stated.

@Mike Katz
I know what you mean. Also I havee less and less in common with frum Jews. They are an embarrassment, committing crimes even secular Jews were told as youngsters that only goyim committed. Frum Jews make heters to do anything they want to further their lifestyle.

The victim of this heinous crime got justice. Her revenge will be encouraging other victims to come forward and press charges. She should live a long healthy life.

[Mike Kats]

Bas:

I agree that justice was done – that was not my point. My point is, that a non Jew understands this happens everywhere not like the fanatical Jewish atheist’s who can join David Duke (which btw hates secular Jews as much, if not more, then frum Jews)

[Abracadabra]

HUGE appreciation and admiration to the Victim/Survivor for the courage she showed in the Weberman case. What she did was extra-ordinarily brave.

The progress for abuse victims that will come from this case will be due to her bravery.

Satmar, chassidim of all stripes, Yeshivish, and all Chareidim should be thanking the victim in this case. This will help to remove some of the stigma, increase awareness, and give other victims courage to come forward. Victims will see HOW MUCH support they have in the FRUM world, and how many people showed up to court to support the victim.

This girl will go down in history, and she deserves the thanks of all of Orthodox Jewery.

[dh]

Pssst, hey, gather around. So here's the thing, no one donates less to this site than I, so I kinda feel an obligation to prompt the giving spirit...yours, not mine.

How much time do you spend here? Not just commentators but also the huddled masses who don't comment. Multiply the hours by minimum wage. Look over Shmarya's posts here and see if you can determine when, if ever, he sleeps. Pay him. Pay him for the whole year. Pay him often and pay him a lot to make up for me.

[put a square into a hole]

the pervert should rot in hell. the girls husband said it all. LETS JUST WAIT TILL THE MEN IN JAIL GET A HOLD OF HIS ASS...
he is gouing to rikers not white collar club med

[dw]

jessica ,the lingerie part is stupid, becouse the stores are in boro park and wiiliamsburg so it aint no victoria secret store also no man walks in to such a store so if the girl bought it for herself with his credit card what is the problem it just shows instead off being a counselor and client they were going for rides to shop or maybe his family used it the card to buy
the day ride also is very wrong specially for satmar

[Nelson Munss]

Send that victim bitch to me, I ought to bang her. I bet that's some fine pussy.

[dh]

So tell me, Nelson, are you single?

[Mike Kats]

Abracadabra: very well put

[Just sum dum guy.]

Man, God bless you all - I mean I aint even a Jew, but you guys are so transparent in your loath and hatred for chasids. It's so ugly. Well lemme re-express that more accurately, YOU'RE all so ugly. I know this case inside out. You're putting this guy, his family, his community, the grand rabbi, all to death. Why? B/c you have real proof? You have "two legit EYE witnesses"? You have DNA? You have a video? You have prints? You have...?? You got nothing. You've got an emotional plea from a girl that stands to feel vindicated b/c he called social services in on her case "screwing up her life." You got a young girl with a very sordid past of imbalanced manipulative behavior. You've got "proof" in that he a "bought lingerie"- oh my! Well that just seals it then for you don't it, huh? "Well, no, see, he ALSO took her with him when he went to Monsey for a day" Ohhhh... well why didn't you SAY that?? Ya'know what...now that I think about it... my brother took my daughter with him (15 yrs old.) skiing for TWO days!!! OMG where is that bastard??? And to think I've trusted him my whole life too??? "No, there's more!!! Oh, what else? "Well, get this! The room he used to talk to the girl(s) in the apartment, (I mean ONE of the rooms he used actually,) HAD A BED IN IT-- AND a mirror!!! A MIRROR??? !!SKIN!! THE BASTARD!! Why the !!!! would someone have a mirror??- I mean unless he's into raping little girls of course!!. "He wasn't licensed!! Oh God neither am I!! and I work with kids at risk! I must be raping them, and not even realizing it. Anyway... It's all more of the same. Nothing real. And yet you all are so rabidly foaming at the mouth to hang him, his family, the whole damn sect, the rabbi, and as collateral damage, the whole Jewish people, which you guy are part of. Why?? Because it's sexy to do so, isn't it???? To take a chasid, and the whole of them, and make them of the devil. Cause that makes you better, doesn't it?? Yeah, it really doesn't though. b

[Eli, what me messiah?]

sum dum,
Since the Satmar cult is a Hungarian offshoot of the Amish, just with funnier clothes and hats, I believe you when you say you're not a Jew.

[yitzhak joseph]

the ultra orthodx are not realy jews but evagelical christians who out to convert real jews to their brand of mesiah cultisim