Two days late, Chabad finally issues a statement on government child sex abuse commission.
Better Late Than Never?
Two Days Late, Chabad Finally Issues Statement On Government Child Sex Abuse Commission
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The principal of Chabad’s Yeshivah College in Melbourne, Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, issued a belated statement today calling the royal commission “a very positive and welcome step,” the JTA reports.
The commission was announced by Australia's prime minister Monday morning and received wide media coverage there, including coverage of statements regarding the commission's formation made by various religious leaders – except for Chabad and the Australian Jewish community's official organizations, which remained noticeably silent.
Chabad’s Yeshivah College community has been ravaged by credible allegations of child sexual abuse by its staff and contract workers made by more than a dozen alleged victims, eleven of who had their allegations vetted by police in one case alone.
David Cyprys, a known pedophile who was allowed to work at Yeshivah College by Chabad’s Australian head Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner despite his history of pedophilia, is scheduled to stand trial next year on more than 40 counts of child rape and abuse of Yeshivah College students.
David Kramer, a former teacher at Yeshivah College who was convicted in the U.S. of child rape and molestation and who recently completed serving a prison term, is awaiting extradition from America to Australia. Melbourne police are investigating multiple credible allegations that he sexually abused students at Yeshivah College between 1989 and 1993.
Kramer was allegedly helped to flee possible arrest in Melbourne by Rabbi Groner. Groner also served as a proctor of David Cyprys and allegedly told victims of both men that it was forbidden to call police to report the rapes and abuse.
Groner died several years ago.
Malka Leifer, a former principal of a Melbourne haredi girls’ school, Adass Israel, fled the country for Israel in 2008 after multiple credible allegations surfaced that she had groomed and seduced several of her teenage students. In that case, haredi rabbis allegedly also told victims that it was forbidden to call police.
The rabbis also allegedly helped her flee to Israel.
[Hat Tip: the Lion.]