Senior Yeshivah official apologises to abuse victim Manny Waks
ABC
Samantha Donovan
11 February 2015
Transcript
PETER LLOYD: For the first time, a victim of child sex abuse at Melbourne's Yeshivah College has got a public apology from a senior official of the school.
At the Royal Commission today, the orthodox Jewish school's former director has said the school made a mistake in not apologising to Manny Waks earlier, and acknowledged that he had done nothing wrong by reporting his abuse to police.
Samantha Donovan reports.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Over several years in the 1980s and ‘90s Manny Waks was sexually abused at Melbourne's ultra-orthodox Yeshivah College.
He's told the royal commission there were two offenders. One man hasn't been named at the commission. The other is David Cyprys. He was a caretaker and security guard at the school who gave martial arts lessons to the boys.
He's now in jail for his assaults on Manny Waks and eight other students.
Mister Waks has told the Commission he has never received an apology from the school for his abuse, and he and his family have been ostracised by many in Melbourne's Yeshivah community for reporting his abuse to the police and the media.
The former general manager of Yeshivah College, Nechama Bendet, told the commission today it was a mistake that Yeshivah College had never apologised directly to Manny Waks.
His lawyer Melinda Richards cross examined her.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you acknowledge, Mrs Bendet, that Manny Waks did nothing wrong by going to the police…
NECHAMA BENDET: Absolutely.
MELINDA RICHARDS: …in 1996…
NECHAMA BENDET: Absolutely.
MELINDA RICHARDS: And again in 2011?
NECHAMA BENDET: Absolutely.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you acknowledge that he has done nothing wrong by speaking publicly about his abuse?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: And you would agree that he has in fact done a great deal of good by speaking publically about his abuse?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you agree that his parents have done nothing wrong by supporting him in going to the police and speaking publically?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: And his broader family have done nothing wrong and are not to be blamed by association?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you condemn ongoing harassment and intimidation of Mr Waks and his family?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks wiped tears from his eyes as Mrs Bendet spoke. Outside the hearing room he said her words were empowering.
MANNY WAKS: My eyes are red a bit, from a bit of crying. You know, hearing one of the most senior officials at the Yeshivah Centre apologise profusely for everything - not just for the sexual abuse, not just for the cover ups - but for the way the Yeshivah Centre has treated me over the past few years.
I feel a complete sense of vindication. It has all been worth it.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks was surprised Nechama Bendet condemned the Yeshivah community's treatment of his family.
MANNY WAKS: It left me speechless, you know, and tearful, and why couldn't they do that a few years ago? We probably wouldn't be here today had they done so. That's all I really wanted was justice, was accountability, was an apology. Those are simple things that I wanted, and I think we all deserved.
And it's now being forced, and it's a shame, but better late than never.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny and Zephaniah Waks have also welcomed an acknowledgement from the former director of Yeshivah College's committee of management Don Wolf in his evidence this afternoon.
Mr Wolf agreed the school should have done more to stop members of the Yeshivah community from vilifying the Waks family after Manny Waks reported his abuse to the police.
The royal commission hearings continue in Melbourne tomorrow morning.
PETER LLOYD: Samantha Donovan.
Originally published at ABC.
PETER LLOYD: For the first time, a victim of child sex abuse at Melbourne's Yeshivah College has got a public apology from a senior official of the school.
At the Royal Commission today, the orthodox Jewish school's former director has said the school made a mistake in not apologising to Manny Waks earlier, and acknowledged that he had done nothing wrong by reporting his abuse to police.
Samantha Donovan reports.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Over several years in the 1980s and ‘90s Manny Waks was sexually abused at Melbourne's ultra-orthodox Yeshivah College.
He's told the royal commission there were two offenders. One man hasn't been named at the commission. The other is David Cyprys. He was a caretaker and security guard at the school who gave martial arts lessons to the boys.
He's now in jail for his assaults on Manny Waks and eight other students.
Mister Waks has told the Commission he has never received an apology from the school for his abuse, and he and his family have been ostracised by many in Melbourne's Yeshivah community for reporting his abuse to the police and the media.
The former general manager of Yeshivah College, Nechama Bendet, told the commission today it was a mistake that Yeshivah College had never apologised directly to Manny Waks.
His lawyer Melinda Richards cross examined her.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you acknowledge, Mrs Bendet, that Manny Waks did nothing wrong by going to the police…
NECHAMA BENDET: Absolutely.
MELINDA RICHARDS: …in 1996…
NECHAMA BENDET: Absolutely.
MELINDA RICHARDS: And again in 2011?
NECHAMA BENDET: Absolutely.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you acknowledge that he has done nothing wrong by speaking publicly about his abuse?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: And you would agree that he has in fact done a great deal of good by speaking publically about his abuse?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you agree that his parents have done nothing wrong by supporting him in going to the police and speaking publically?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: And his broader family have done nothing wrong and are not to be blamed by association?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
MELINDA RICHARDS: Do you condemn ongoing harassment and intimidation of Mr Waks and his family?
NECHAMA BENDET: Yes.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks wiped tears from his eyes as Mrs Bendet spoke. Outside the hearing room he said her words were empowering.
MANNY WAKS: My eyes are red a bit, from a bit of crying. You know, hearing one of the most senior officials at the Yeshivah Centre apologise profusely for everything - not just for the sexual abuse, not just for the cover ups - but for the way the Yeshivah Centre has treated me over the past few years.
I feel a complete sense of vindication. It has all been worth it.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny Waks was surprised Nechama Bendet condemned the Yeshivah community's treatment of his family.
MANNY WAKS: It left me speechless, you know, and tearful, and why couldn't they do that a few years ago? We probably wouldn't be here today had they done so. That's all I really wanted was justice, was accountability, was an apology. Those are simple things that I wanted, and I think we all deserved.
And it's now being forced, and it's a shame, but better late than never.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Manny and Zephaniah Waks have also welcomed an acknowledgement from the former director of Yeshivah College's committee of management Don Wolf in his evidence this afternoon.
Mr Wolf agreed the school should have done more to stop members of the Yeshivah community from vilifying the Waks family after Manny Waks reported his abuse to the police.
The royal commission hearings continue in Melbourne tomorrow morning.
PETER LLOYD: Samantha Donovan.
Originally published at ABC.