Jews who shun Jewish child sex abuse survivors are themselves committing a sin and are complicit in the abuse, the senior leaders of Australia’s Jewish community say.
The leaders say there is no role for Jewish laws or halachic principles when it comes to child sexual abuse, which must be reported to secular authorities.
It is wrong to shun victims for coming forward or label them a moser or informer, they told the child abuse royal commission on Thursday.
“In my view to shun is to be complicit in the abuse that has been perpetrated on the victim and there is no place for that in our society whatsoever,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Anton Block said.
The royal commission has found leaders of Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi failed to act on reports of abuse and some members of the orthodox communities were discouraged from reporting abuse because of the way Jewish law concepts were applied.
Read the full article by Megan Neil at The West Australian.