Tzedek responds to Maccabi
In response to the announcement by Maccabi that they will undertake an independent review relating to the recent child sexual abuse case, where former Maccabi coach Shannon Francis pleaded guilty to a range of charges against a number of victims, child sexual advocacy group Tzedek has issued a statement.
Tzedek CEO Manny Waks said: “I welcome this excellent development. This initiative by Maccabi demonstrates that they are indeed taking this matter seriously.
Due to the serious allegations by the victims and others regarding the mishandling of the case by senior Maccabi officials – both at the time of the abuse and more recently since Shannon Francis was charged – an independent, transparent and immediate review of the facts, as well as the provision of guidance on how to respond to similar cases in the future, is an appropriate response.
I look forward to seeing the findings and hearing from the panel once the review has been completed later this year. Indeed, Tzedek would be more than happy to assist in the process should we be called upon to do so. Tzedek will continue to work closely with the victims as we have until now.
In the meantime, we look forward to continuing to work with Maccabi on this important issue.
I would like to take this opportunity to call upon other institutions who have faced and/or are still facing similar allegations to consider following suit.
I have been in contact with the Jewish victims involved in this case who echo the above sentiments.”
