Rabbi says he does not recall warning sex offender
The Age
Jane Lee
5 February 2015
The spiritual orthodox Jewish leader of NSW says he does not recall warning convicted sex offender Daniel Hayman to stay away from younger boys at Yeshiva Bondi.
Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, the former head of Yeshiva College Bondi, repeatedly denied receiving complaints about Hayman abusing younger boys at youth camps organised by Yeshiva during the 1980s, at the royal commission into child sexual abuse on Thursday.
Hayman told police before he was sentenced for indecent assault in 2011 that he remembered senior rabbi Boruch Lesches telling him to "stay away" from younger boys, and had a "vague recollection" that Rabbi Feldman had also spoken to him about this, the commission heard.
When police asked in what context the conversation with Rabbi Feldman took place, Hayman said: "A similar thing to what Rabbi Lesches spoke about, to keep away."
"From the younger boys?" the police officer asked. "Yes, yes," Hayman said.
Counsel assisting the royal commission Maria Gerace said that the police statement showed Rabbi Feldman and Rabbi Lesches advised Hayman to stay away from younger boys.
"I'm afraid that I can't agree with that," Rabbi Feldman said. "He himself says that he does not remember, and as a result of him being asked more questions, he said maybe it was a similar thing. I do not recall any such conversation at all."
Rabbi Feldman's son, Eli, last year contacted Hayman - who lives in the United States - about the alleged conversation, asking him to clarify its nature and "whether it was a confession and what details you recall giving", the commission heard.
Asked why he had done this, Rabbi Feldman said: "It was simply to ... refresh my memory if there was something that I didn't recall."
Rabbi Feldman said he had heard rumours at one stage that Hayman had "homosexual tendencies" which he acted on, but said: "Nobody has ever complained to me about their being a victim of Daniel Hayman."
Hayman's victim, AVB, told the commission on Wednesday that when he confronted him in 2011, Hayman said that only Rabbi Lesches and Rabbi Feldman had ever spoken to him about his offending.
After the conversations with the rabbis, Hayman had gone on to abuse AVB, he said. Hayman also admitted to him that he had offended against three other boys at the Yeshiva, AVB said.
Hayman was a chaperone at a camp run by orthodox Jewish institution Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi in Sydney. He was given a suspended, 19-month prison sentence and put on a good behaviour bond for the same period for indecent assault against AVB at the camp. Hayman was 24 and AVB was 14 at the time.
The hearing continues.
Originally published at The Age.
Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, the former head of Yeshiva College Bondi, repeatedly denied receiving complaints about Hayman abusing younger boys at youth camps organised by Yeshiva during the 1980s, at the royal commission into child sexual abuse on Thursday.
Hayman told police before he was sentenced for indecent assault in 2011 that he remembered senior rabbi Boruch Lesches telling him to "stay away" from younger boys, and had a "vague recollection" that Rabbi Feldman had also spoken to him about this, the commission heard.
When police asked in what context the conversation with Rabbi Feldman took place, Hayman said: "A similar thing to what Rabbi Lesches spoke about, to keep away."
"From the younger boys?" the police officer asked. "Yes, yes," Hayman said.
Counsel assisting the royal commission Maria Gerace said that the police statement showed Rabbi Feldman and Rabbi Lesches advised Hayman to stay away from younger boys.
"I'm afraid that I can't agree with that," Rabbi Feldman said. "He himself says that he does not remember, and as a result of him being asked more questions, he said maybe it was a similar thing. I do not recall any such conversation at all."
Rabbi Feldman's son, Eli, last year contacted Hayman - who lives in the United States - about the alleged conversation, asking him to clarify its nature and "whether it was a confession and what details you recall giving", the commission heard.
Asked why he had done this, Rabbi Feldman said: "It was simply to ... refresh my memory if there was something that I didn't recall."
Rabbi Feldman said he had heard rumours at one stage that Hayman had "homosexual tendencies" which he acted on, but said: "Nobody has ever complained to me about their being a victim of Daniel Hayman."
Hayman's victim, AVB, told the commission on Wednesday that when he confronted him in 2011, Hayman said that only Rabbi Lesches and Rabbi Feldman had ever spoken to him about his offending.
After the conversations with the rabbis, Hayman had gone on to abuse AVB, he said. Hayman also admitted to him that he had offended against three other boys at the Yeshiva, AVB said.
Hayman was a chaperone at a camp run by orthodox Jewish institution Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi in Sydney. He was given a suspended, 19-month prison sentence and put on a good behaviour bond for the same period for indecent assault against AVB at the camp. Hayman was 24 and AVB was 14 at the time.
The hearing continues.
Originally published at The Age.