Royal Commission hears Jewish school failed to deal with serial child abuser
ABC
Samantha Donovan
2 February 2015
The Royal Commission into child sexual abuse has been told Yeshivah College in Melbourne continued to employ a serial child abuser despite having been alerted by parents to his crimes. Victim Manny Waks has given evidence that some in the ultra Orthodox Jewish Yeshivah community have bullied and intimidated him after he went public with his allegations.
AUDIO: Royal Commission hears Jewish school failed to deal with serial child abuser (PM)
Transcript
MARK COLVIN: The Royal Commission into child sexual abuse has heard that a serial child abuser was allowed to keep working at a Melbourne Jewish school despite parents having reported the abuse to a senior Rabbi.
The Commission is investigating how the ultra-orthodox Jewish Yeshivah centres and schools in Melbourne and Sydney handled allegations relating to three convicted child abusers.
One victim told the commission today that he and his family had been bullied and intimidated after he made his allegations public.
Samantha Donovan reports.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The Royal Commission heard today that Yeshivah organisations were set up around the world after the Second World War to provide educational, religious, cultural and welfare activities as part of the Chabad movement, a sect of Hasidic Judaism.
The commission was told the Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne is one of the biggest Jewish organisations in the southern hemisphere, and is the centre of family life for its followers.
The community sits apart from broader Australian society.
The witness known to the Commission as AVA gave evidence today that he was sexually abused between the ages of 14 and 17 by David Cyprys. He taught martial arts and was a security guard at Yeshivah College in Melbourne.
AVA told the commission his mother reported the abuse to the head of Yeshivah College, Rabbi Groner, in 1986. And the Rabbi told her he thought they had "fixed the situation" with Cyprys, and that he would "take care of it".
But AVA gave evidence the abuse continued until he was about 17. He told the commission he later found out in 2011 that Cyprys was still working at Yeshivah College.
AVA: This discovery physically sickened me. I felt essential responsibility that maybe I should have done more in 2003, so that he could not be around children.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Yeshivah Centre and some of the Rabbis were aware of David's penchant for young boys.
Despite this, he was still a security guard. This gave David access to kids. In my opinion, the first thought of the leaders of Yeshivah Centre was to protect Yeshivah and its reputation - not me, or the other children.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks outraged many in the orthodox community by going public with allegations in 2011 that he'd been abused as a young boy by David Cyprys, and another man connected with the Yeshivah Centre.
He broke down as he told the commission a friend breached his trust and told other students at the Yeshivah school that he'd been abused by a man known to the commission as ABP.
MANNY WAKS: I felt that many people, including adults and teachers at the school and centre knew what had happened to me, and tolerated me being bullied about it.
I thought this because no-one intervened or helped me. No adult at the Yeshivah College or Centre ever asked me what was happening, and whether I was OK.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: David Cyprys has now been jailed for offences committed against AVA, Manny Waks and seven other boys.
Mr Waks told the Commission he believed the Yeshivah Centre knew for several years that some children had been abused.
MANNY WAKS: I knew for certain that the Yeshivah Centre leadership knew from as early as 1984 in relation to allegations about Cyprys.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks told the Royal Commission he and his parents, his wife, and wider family have been ostracised and intimidated by many in the Yeshivah community after he came forward with his allegations.
He says some people have urged him to stop publicising the crimes committed against him.
MANNY WAKS: I was in fact contacted by several considered community members, and they said to me that the anti-Semites are having a field day with my testimony and my publicity around this issue, and that if I cared about the community, I'd cease doing that straight away.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: One of the issues the Royal Commission will consider as part of this case study is the Jewish concept of 'Mesirah'.
The commission heard it's the belief of some Jews that they're forbidden by Jewish law from informing on another Jew to secular authorities like the police.
Counsel Assisting the commission asked Manny Waks how he feels having been accused by some in the orthodox community of being an informer.
MANNY WAKS: I am appalled by it obviously, because the concept of 'Mesirah' really, you can become a death target.
Taken at its literal meaning, you become potentially a target who is legitimate to be murdered, because you've gone and cooperated with the authorities.
Now, I've never felt threatened for my life, but it does highlight the severity in which this concept is held.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The Royal Commission hearings continue in Melbourne tomorrow.
MARK COLVIN: Samantha Donovan.
Originally published at ABC.
AUDIO: Royal Commission hears Jewish school failed to deal with serial child abuser (PM)
Transcript
MARK COLVIN: The Royal Commission into child sexual abuse has heard that a serial child abuser was allowed to keep working at a Melbourne Jewish school despite parents having reported the abuse to a senior Rabbi.
The Commission is investigating how the ultra-orthodox Jewish Yeshivah centres and schools in Melbourne and Sydney handled allegations relating to three convicted child abusers.
One victim told the commission today that he and his family had been bullied and intimidated after he made his allegations public.
Samantha Donovan reports.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The Royal Commission heard today that Yeshivah organisations were set up around the world after the Second World War to provide educational, religious, cultural and welfare activities as part of the Chabad movement, a sect of Hasidic Judaism.
The commission was told the Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne is one of the biggest Jewish organisations in the southern hemisphere, and is the centre of family life for its followers.
The community sits apart from broader Australian society.
The witness known to the Commission as AVA gave evidence today that he was sexually abused between the ages of 14 and 17 by David Cyprys. He taught martial arts and was a security guard at Yeshivah College in Melbourne.
AVA told the commission his mother reported the abuse to the head of Yeshivah College, Rabbi Groner, in 1986. And the Rabbi told her he thought they had "fixed the situation" with Cyprys, and that he would "take care of it".
But AVA gave evidence the abuse continued until he was about 17. He told the commission he later found out in 2011 that Cyprys was still working at Yeshivah College.
AVA: This discovery physically sickened me. I felt essential responsibility that maybe I should have done more in 2003, so that he could not be around children.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Yeshivah Centre and some of the Rabbis were aware of David's penchant for young boys.
Despite this, he was still a security guard. This gave David access to kids. In my opinion, the first thought of the leaders of Yeshivah Centre was to protect Yeshivah and its reputation - not me, or the other children.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks outraged many in the orthodox community by going public with allegations in 2011 that he'd been abused as a young boy by David Cyprys, and another man connected with the Yeshivah Centre.
He broke down as he told the commission a friend breached his trust and told other students at the Yeshivah school that he'd been abused by a man known to the commission as ABP.
MANNY WAKS: I felt that many people, including adults and teachers at the school and centre knew what had happened to me, and tolerated me being bullied about it.
I thought this because no-one intervened or helped me. No adult at the Yeshivah College or Centre ever asked me what was happening, and whether I was OK.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: David Cyprys has now been jailed for offences committed against AVA, Manny Waks and seven other boys.
Mr Waks told the Commission he believed the Yeshivah Centre knew for several years that some children had been abused.
MANNY WAKS: I knew for certain that the Yeshivah Centre leadership knew from as early as 1984 in relation to allegations about Cyprys.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks told the Royal Commission he and his parents, his wife, and wider family have been ostracised and intimidated by many in the Yeshivah community after he came forward with his allegations.
He says some people have urged him to stop publicising the crimes committed against him.
MANNY WAKS: I was in fact contacted by several considered community members, and they said to me that the anti-Semites are having a field day with my testimony and my publicity around this issue, and that if I cared about the community, I'd cease doing that straight away.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: One of the issues the Royal Commission will consider as part of this case study is the Jewish concept of 'Mesirah'.
The commission heard it's the belief of some Jews that they're forbidden by Jewish law from informing on another Jew to secular authorities like the police.
Counsel Assisting the commission asked Manny Waks how he feels having been accused by some in the orthodox community of being an informer.
MANNY WAKS: I am appalled by it obviously, because the concept of 'Mesirah' really, you can become a death target.
Taken at its literal meaning, you become potentially a target who is legitimate to be murdered, because you've gone and cooperated with the authorities.
Now, I've never felt threatened for my life, but it does highlight the severity in which this concept is held.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The Royal Commission hearings continue in Melbourne tomorrow.
MARK COLVIN: Samantha Donovan.
Originally published at ABC.