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'They don’t believe someone with a long beard could do this'

Victims of alleged child sex abuse in the Charedi community describe how a culture of witness suppression, a fear of secular institutions, deference to rabbinic authority and strict sexual taboos kept them from speaking out

October 25, 2019 09:58
Right to left) Menachem Mendel Levy, Isaak Goldschmidt and Todros Grynhaus are among the Charedi men convicted of abuse in recent years
5 min read

A string of historic child sexual abuse cases in the Charedi community has sent shockwaves through strictly-Orthodox circles — and prompted religious leaders to reassess how they respond to complaints.

Although there is no real data on the prevalence of offending in these communities, there is no reason to suggest children are abused more frequently in Charedi communities than in wider society.

But a series of alleged victims have told the JC that a culture of witness suppression, a fear of secular institutions, deference to rabbinic authority and strict sexual taboos have conspired to make it harder to speak out, and have thwarted attempts by secular agencies to root out abuse.

Among the Charedi men to be convicted in recent years are Menachem Mendel Levy, in 2013, Todros Grynhaus in 2015 and David Glausiusz and Isaak Goldschmidt in 2017.