Over the last year, there has been a spotlight over the Jewish community in New York. Multiple reports and allegations of child sex abuse have emerged. Below is a summary of the most recent reports of child sex abuse engulfing New York’s Jewish community.
Yeshiva University Child Sex Abuse Scandal
Yeshiva University High School is facing a civil lawsuit involving nearly a dozen former students who allege sexual abuse by former employees of the school: a teacher and a principal. Those individuals have denied the allegations. The abuse is alleged to have occurred over decades. In addition, school officials are alleged to have failed to respond to sex abuse allegations.
Related: Yeshiva University Child Sex Abuse Scandal – Internal Investigation Results
Brooklyn Yeshiva Principal Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Boys
Earlier this year, a former Yeshiva principal, Emanuel Yegutkin, was convicted of sexually abusing two boys over a 10 year period. He subjected them to fondling and oral sex abuse and showed pornography to a third boy. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Yegutkin founded the Elite High School in Bensonhurst, and was close to the father of the boys he abused. The boys were not his students.
His sentence comes after being found guilty of 75 counts of child sexual abuse related charges. Sources: www.nytimes.com, “Ex-Yeshiva Leader Gets 55-Year Term”; www.nydailynews.com, “Brooklyn Yeshiva principal Emanuel Yegutkin guilty of molesting boys”
Young Victim of Brooklyn Hasidic Jewish Counselor, Nechemya Weberman, Booed Out of Synagogue
The 18 year old victim of Jewish counselor, Nechemya Weberman, was booed out of a Williamsburg, NY synagogue over Rosh Hashanah this weekend, according to the New York Post. She was called a shaming term for a Jew who betrays their community.
The victim came forward in 2011, alleging Weberman had abused her beginning in 2007, when she was just 12 years old. During the resulting criminal trial, she was on the witness stand for a brutal 4 days. Weberman was ultimately convicted of the sexual abuse and sentenced. He will likely die in prison.
During the proceedings, another man from the tight-knit community offered the victim and her husband $500,000 to leave the country and drop the case. That man has since pleaded guilty.
The victim’s husband has said that since his wife came forward, they have faced tremendous pressure from the community. Source: forward.com, “Victim of Sex Abuse Booed out of Satmar Shul in Williamsburg”
Related: Why Child Sex Abuse is Swept under the Rug in Church Communities like the Jewish Community
Help if You Have Been the Victim of Child Sex Abuse by a Religious Official
Firm founder, Guy D’Andrea, is a former sex crimes unit prosecutor who now represents victims of crime including victims of child sex abuse and molestation. Brian offers free consultations to all victims of child sex abuse. Click To Call