Victims of abuse call for change
Caulfield Glen Eira Leader
Cassie Zervos
31 March 2015
YESHIVAH BOARD SLAMMED
VICTIMS of sex abuse at the St Kilda East boys’ school Yeshivah College have called on the entire leadership of its governing body, the Yeshivah Centre, to step down. Led by victims’ advocate Manny Waks, the group says the “token” resignation of five members is not enough. VICTIMS of child sex abuse at Yeshivah College want the entire Committee of Management and Board of Trustees of its governing body to step down.
Lobbyist, Manny Waks, and 10 other victims stated that the Yeshivah Centre’s five “token” resignations were not “good enough”.
On March 25, four members of the Centre’s Committee of Management stepped down after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted severe failings in the centre’s management of past sex abuse claims and child protection policy.
The centre also released a statement stating a fifth member would “transition off the committee in the near future”.
Last month, Rabbi Avrohom Glick stepped down from all leadership roles.
From 1986-2007, Rabbi Glick was principal of Yeshivah College, and it’s believed there were sexualabuse incidents that went unreported to the police during his time as principal.
In a March 11 open letter to 20 Yeshivah Centre leaders, the 11 victims claimed members of the leadership group were more concerned about the orthodox Jewish centre’s reputation than helping victims.
A statement from the Yeshivah Centre said it was committed to making the centre and the school better and more transparent.
“We are launching a scheme to respond to the needs of victims of child abuse,” the statement said.
“An independent and preeminent committee is being established to develop and implement a scheme based on the principles of existing models operating in other organisations,” the statement said.
Southern Metropolitan Region state Labor MP Philip Dalidakis called on the Federal Government to withhold funding from the Yeshivah Centre until they “clean up their act” on reporting child sex abuse.
Originally published at Caulfield Glen Eira Leader.
VICTIMS of sex abuse at the St Kilda East boys’ school Yeshivah College have called on the entire leadership of its governing body, the Yeshivah Centre, to step down. Led by victims’ advocate Manny Waks, the group says the “token” resignation of five members is not enough. VICTIMS of child sex abuse at Yeshivah College want the entire Committee of Management and Board of Trustees of its governing body to step down.
Lobbyist, Manny Waks, and 10 other victims stated that the Yeshivah Centre’s five “token” resignations were not “good enough”.
On March 25, four members of the Centre’s Committee of Management stepped down after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted severe failings in the centre’s management of past sex abuse claims and child protection policy.
The centre also released a statement stating a fifth member would “transition off the committee in the near future”.
Last month, Rabbi Avrohom Glick stepped down from all leadership roles.
From 1986-2007, Rabbi Glick was principal of Yeshivah College, and it’s believed there were sexualabuse incidents that went unreported to the police during his time as principal.
In a March 11 open letter to 20 Yeshivah Centre leaders, the 11 victims claimed members of the leadership group were more concerned about the orthodox Jewish centre’s reputation than helping victims.
A statement from the Yeshivah Centre said it was committed to making the centre and the school better and more transparent.
“We are launching a scheme to respond to the needs of victims of child abuse,” the statement said.
“An independent and preeminent committee is being established to develop and implement a scheme based on the principles of existing models operating in other organisations,” the statement said.
Southern Metropolitan Region state Labor MP Philip Dalidakis called on the Federal Government to withhold funding from the Yeshivah Centre until they “clean up their act” on reporting child sex abuse.
Originally published at Caulfield Glen Eira Leader.