Ha'aretz reports::
Jerusalem police on Sunday arrested a Haredi youth on suspicion of sexually assaulting his sisters and his younger brother repeatedly over the past five years.
During his questioning, the youth admitted to assaulting a number of neighborhood youths in addition to his siblings. The assaults would typically consist of the suspect rubbing himself against his victims until he received sexual gratification.
Most of the assaults reportedly took place in the suspect's home and police made the arrest after they received an anonymous tip.The suspect told police that he carried out the attacks because he was the victim of sexual assault at the hands of rabbis in the yeshivas where he studied.…
Isolated case? Case emblematic of a very real problem in haredi communities?
Again, the evidence gathered from professionals – doctors, social workers, probation officers, administrators of government and private social service and health programs, researchers, attorneys, etc. – says child sexual abuse is widespread in haredi society.
The haredi community needs a zero tolerance policy for sexual abuse of all types. It needs to take concrete action – like implementation of mandatory background checks for all haredi school employees and volunteers. Haredi inaction hurts children. That inaction should no longer be tolerated by anyone in civil society.
[Hat Tip: The Awareness Center.]