IBT apologises to Rabbi Yossi Feldman

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The International Business Times has apologised to Sydney’s Rabbi Yossi Feldman that the contents of an article published following the rabbi’s testimony at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse saying “one should not conclude that “he did not know that sexual touching of a child’s genital is not considered child sex abuse” may have caused him “hurt and embarrassment”.

Rabbi Yossef Feldman gives evidence at the Commission

Rabbi Feldman has commenced legal proceedings claiming he was defamed against a raft of news papers including The Australian Jewish News, The Guardian, The Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Australian, ABC, SBS, The Daily Beast, the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Australasia, IBT, The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies .

Rabbi Feldman gave evidence at the Commission in Melbourne in February 2015. He was giving evidence relating to another individual who had touched a child’s genitalia. He was under examination for his response to the action.

IBT published the apology below yesterday and J-Wire understands an undisclosed settlement was reached.

Robert Goot, president of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry of which The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies is a constituent body, told J-Wire: “In February 2016, Rabbi Yosef Feldman instituted proceedings in the Defamation list of the Supreme Court of NSW, against the ECAJ, its President (Robert Goot AM SC) and Executive Director (Peter Wertheim AM), arising out of statements made by the President and Executive Director on behalf of the ECAJ following evidence given by Rabbi Yosef Feldman  in 2015 to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The ECAJ and its officers  are  vigorously defending the proceedings  thorough our insurers.