Royal Commission: Day three – Who is the pariah?
AVB, a victim of child sexual abuse by adults responsible for children at both Sydney Yeshiva and Melbourne Yeshivah appeared at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearing being held in Melbourne.
Witness AVB started today’s session by saying “In my experience Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi and in particular their executives and rabbis are adverse to attention being drawn to them as a result of the handling of child sex abuse within those institutions. This all needs to change.”
Daniel Hayman
But he finished before the lunch break by telling how the Sydney Yeshiva had allowed Daniel “Gug” Hayman to be honoured as a sponsor of an event marking the passing if the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He told the Commission: “I was advised that there was a function for a day called Gimmel Tammuz. Gimmel Tammuz marks the third day of Tammuz which is a Jewish month and that is the day on which the Lubavitcher Rebbe passed away. Today when the community gathers at a large public gathering. It was brought to my attention that Hayman was lasted as one of the people who sponsored and funded that event. I remember thinking to myself ‘you can’t be serious’. Here is a man who three weeks earlier, three weeks not three years or three months, three weeks. had been sentenced for crimes committed while working for that institution against children in the care of that institution and for whom that institution had ultimate responsibility and had failed. The magistrate had made it know that it was heinous crime. The magistrate had made it known that there was no element of consent. On the contrary, the child tried to get away. So you take a person who is engaged in that and rather than distance yourselves from him…you embrace him. So what does that say to me? What does it say to all other victims of child sexual abuse at that institution? What does it say to all victims of child sexual abuse who have disclosed or not disclosed in the Jewish community? Who is the pariah? Who’s the one that’s welcome and who’s the one who’s not?
AVB had been sexually assaulted when he was a child by Hayman at a camp organised by the Sydney Yeshiva and his evidence led to the rabbi’s conviction. Hayman, who moved to Los Angeles. received a nineteen month suspended sentence
What does it say indeed. If confirmed as correct, we await an explanation from the Sydney Yeshiva.
Thank you to the families that have gone to the Royal Commission in Australia and the families that have supported them in their quest for justice and change, to better protect all of our children.
The Royal Commission is running for another 2 years.
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