Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said the intimidation of sex abuse victims in the Orthodox Jewish community went beyond the bullying tactics the mob uses to silence witnesses.
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“I haven’t seen this kind of intimidation in organized crime cases or police corruption,” Hynes said Wednesday. “Nobody gives a damn about victims [in that community\]. All they care about is protecting the abusers.”
Hynes said he has put together a panel of officials to develop strategies to stop bullies.
The aim “is to put people in handcuffs [if they] intimidate, harass or otherwise threaten victims or their families,” Hynes said.
Hynes has been under fire recently since enacting a policy of refusing to name accused molesters. He said that decision was to prevent victims from being harassed.
“They would engage, this community, in a relentless search for the victims. . . and then the victims will be intimidated and threatened and the case would fall apart,” said Hynes.
Victims face expulsions from yeshivas and difficulties in arranging marriages, he said.
Since he enacted the no-naming police three years ago, the problem has subsided but hasn’t disappeared, he said.
he should use the RICO laws they are used to charge criminal conspiracies arrest arrest a few “rabbis’and their tune will change
I hope he manages to make an arrest sometime soon. It’s probably the only way those who bully the victims will ever stop.
If only we had school choice, it would reduce everyone’s stress. Not saying that stress cause abuse but it certainly doesn’t help and it makes everyone, victims, abusers, and law enforcement crazy about an issue that should never be in a rational world. but then again, who said the world operates rationally?
Charles Hynes is a good man who has done so much for our city. Unfortunately he realizes that our community is really screwed up!
He also knows very well that this mob is easiest to attack and shame, because they take everything thrown at them with grace.
Imagine the guts he would’ve had to muster this attacks against the Italians per se, they would need to lend a page of the Chareidim’s books on how to handle him, huh?
Please after 20 yr’s on the job during which he was happy to get the Frum vote and hangout with the same leaders he’s now bashing, Hynes does an about face.
The guy is a hypocrite of the highest degree and I hope he somehow gets kicked out of office.
He is got a watch his tone – in Brooklyn this very community that he is slamming is a swing vote
hes trying to satisfy his critics on the heads of chasidim,
what a discrase!
The Frum community does many wonderful things that we can be very proud of. The way it protects sex abusers is a Chillul Hashem of the highest order. It’s a terrible blot on the frum community that will have to be answered for after 120 years. Shame on us. ” A light unto nations? ” Really?
hes right and its a huge chilul hashem! what a disgrace.
This is the biggest chillul Hashem in recent history.
Unfortunately, he is correct. By their actions, the Agudah and other mosdos seem more concerned with protecting reputations of molestors than assuring the safety of children. That may not be reality but its the impression they convey when they insist on consulting rabbonim rather than immediately reporting allegations to the police.
Wow. If even partially true it’s a chilly hashem of enormous proportions. One has to wonder whether we need an asifah to stand up 60,000 strong to say we support the accusers and stand behind them when they go to the authorities.
As it says in Pirkei Avos.. they only become our friends when its in their interest… but when the going gets tough.. the throw us under the bus… Jewish Shvitzers take note.. you may be going to jail…
Hynes is, unfortunately, right!!! If the community wouldn’t protects these abusers these crimes would stop….noone wants to be caught, prosecuted and jailed. The poor victims would, at least, have closure after putting these animals away!!
Instead of talking from the bully pulpet let’s see him arrest a big fish like margolis or some other soo called rosh hayeshiva or rebbe or dayan throw them in rikers island (with glatt kosher food) don’t give them bail so they can not continue to intimidate then all problems will be resolved.
His statements are flagrantly racist. He should resign. You can’t condemn a community. You can point to specific people or actions. Suppose he categorized another group with an illegal behavior.
Pederasty is forbidden by the torah and the issue is not racism but benign neglect
Nobody can blame DA Hynes. He was put in a tough spot. By trying to please everybody, he got into this position. Now he must get out of it. The p[roblem has gotten out of hand, Do NOT blame Hynes. Bl;ame yourselves for not doing anything about it and keeping your eyes closed to a growing problem, What if it were your child that was abused Chas v’shalom? You would sing a different song and not blame the parents of the poor child. Why are these children being thrown out of Yeshiva? Then they end up in PUBLIC SCHOOL??? What are we doing to our future generations?? Think long and hard before you yell back at me.
Mr. Hynes did you see 2 weeks ago where over 45,000 orthodox gathered under one roof because the followed the call of the Rabbis ….Orthodox people will follow Rabbis advice and will NOT do anything against the Rabbi….
Rabbis have been put in jail for over thousands of years for keeping the laws of the Torah and will not be scared to give advice when one of his congregants will ask him how to handle a molestation abuse….
The reason why the accused are getting so protected is because the accusers are getting so much protection! It needs to be balanced.
Until now, the community preferred that this scandal be swept under the rug and Hynes accomodated the community. Well, sentiment in the community has changed, regardless of what the Agooduh or Zweibel are saying. Hynes is readjusting his approach to dealing with child sexual molestation in the Orthodox community. Brothers and sisters, this took time in happening, but this is where it begins. The days of covering-up are over. Intimidators will be arrested and prosecuted together with the molestors they’re trying to shield. Finally, the bad guys are going to be punished.
I don’t believe a word he says. He says one thing to the media, and behind closed doors tells Augudah how he will cooperate. Victims lose either way. Shanda
He got so much pressure from the Bloomberg administration and the ny times bashing him, he had to do something. all he is saying is dont act like a hoodlum and threaten people or intimidate them. thats illegal anyway, so you will get whats coming to you. whats the problem?
Charles Hynes does not get it. Rabbis will go to jail for insisting that a rav shpu;d determine first if there is a dangerous man and nothing else works. His laws wont make the frum comply. mesura is just like giving over another jew to be murdered. many Jewxs are attcked in jail. The leader of JDL was murdered the cops saiod it was suicide. There is nothing wrong to go to a rav first. It has also been used as a threat against jews in divorce cases. Those that disobey Jewish law should find a minyon in church with hynes
So the DA has “turned against us” and “thrown us under the bus” and is a “hypocrite.” He’s attacking the Jewish community in a way that he wouldn’t with others. Let’s get this straight: he’s turned against us because he won’t allow further cover-ups of child molestation? He hasn’t done this with other communities? What other community said “don’t report without checking with us first?” Even the Catholic Church never said “check with us before you go to the police.” (Well, they tried in some cases and look what happened!).
Even if this is purely political, what other stance could he possibly take? There isn’t a big upside to protecting molesters. You think he’s after the pedophile vote?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s not just the politics. Maybe stopping the abuse of our children is actually a good idea. Maybe he wants to stop dangerous criminals.
I’ll take a public stance on this: I’m against pedophilia. No if, and, or buts. You abuse a child and I will take every possible legal action to protect that child and stop the perpetrator. If there is an imminent threat, I will use physical force. I will call 9-1-1. I will sign a complaint, testify and court, and GLADLY send the guy to jail.
i would like VIN to make a poll one day on this site seperate for females and males, in anonymous who got molested, whenver there is anything about molestation so many ppl say they were molested. i wish we knew a number, my husband is a victim too, and because of the society we live in, his parents did not report it (and i dont blame them) it didnt stop even they knew about it. after all these years this guy was recently arrested, sad that he molested so many other kids when it could have stopped almost 20 years ago.
He’s right.
What happened with “stereotyping” ?
I understand why people are upset about the public Chillul Hashem, and I am too, But Charles Hynes is not the kind of guy that spreads false rumors because he is having a bad day. You don’t argue that he is speaking lies. You also don’t argue with the fact that there is a degree of protection for molesters reputations while at the same time ignoring their victims.
(Although I don’t believe it malicious intent, rather a lack of knowledge as to actual damage caused to victims)
So why blame the stick, if the hand that caused the Chillul Hashem in the first place can be your next door neighbor?
Yes, I am a victim. And am waiting for some Raabonim to wake up and form a committee to root out this machleh from our community and help us victims. Hopefully sooner rather then later..
I hope #24 is a sick joke…. equating abusers with victims? No doubt you went to the WIlliamsburg fundraiser chillul hashem
“Nobody gives a damn about victims [in that community\]. All they care about is protecting the abusers.”
Just like the Catholic Church!
It’s interesting that DA Hynes is now hell bent for leather to “put people in handcuffs [if they] intimidate, harass or otherwise threaten victims or their families.” It’s too bad the DA didn’t take his own advice when he allowed that serial child molester Kolko to go Scot free with a simple slap on the wrists.
Either Hynes is considering retirement, or, saying one thing to the media, and another to Agudah!
To all those in La-La Land who think that Jews are innocent and Hynes is a bigot -wake up and smell the coffee. In one of those Jewish Mags that come in the mail I just got, there is a full page ad asking for donations to defend an accused Molester.
(They just forgot to mention what the case is about.) Quite a few Rabbonim signed. While I’m all for every man entitled to their day in court, how come noone collects for victims? I’m sure they need funds for therapy and lots more. So when it’s one – sided, of course the Goyim point this out. Stop caring what they say about us and start doing the right thing. If Rabbonim aren’t capable of this – then they need to be replaced. Ya -know the old saying -“Throw the bum out.” And this is what’s wrong with Asifas against things like Internet, it throws a smokescreen up on what’s also occurring in the Frum community that’s not on the up & up.
The DA Charles Hynes had the child molester Yosef Kolko in his hands, and he DROPPED THE CHARGES!!!
HE let a criminal go free! And he wants to prosecute rabbis for teaching Jewish law in respect to reporting suspicions of crimes one did not witness???!!!
US law ALLOWS a person to make a judgement call regarding reporting suspicions. It is up to the individual to decide for himself if the suspicion is serious enough to warrant making a report. And so it is perfectly legal for rabbis to teach how to make that judgement.
Instead of joining the media chorus puffing out hype and derogatory slanderous insinuations about the leaders of the orthodox community, the DA would do better to do his job and prosecute the real criminals instead of DROPPING CHARGES against actual child molesters with a long and dark record.
Hynes with his 21st century blood libels is raising hatred against all orthodox Jews. He behaves as a poisenous snake. He belongs behind bars, certainly not in such a position of power and responsibility.
I think the molesters need to be place in a situation where they cannot bother anyone. The way they work is by intimidation and bullying. There crime is violent and purpetuated again children who are too weak to defend themselves. We as society, i.e. Jews and Gentiles, have a responsibility to put people away who are convicted of this offense. Read, who are convicted. We don’t go on a witch hunt but IT IS a violent crime and should be treated as such across the board regardless of who or where the crime was committed.
There have been enough suicides and suicide attempts not to mention perpetrating other acts on new victims that we can safely call this issue Pikuach Nefesh.
In cases if Pikuach Nefesh you do not listen to Rabbonim!
If your doctor tells you to eat on yom kippur
Every kid that goes off claims to have been molested. Now, if you believe that all these kids were molested you’re off your wall.
There was a molester in my neighborhood and the people went to the rabbanim. After the rabbanim investigated the man was put into cheirim. He had no shul to daven in and noone said good shabbos to him. He’s been in cheirim for 15 years and no one says a word to him in the street. By the way he was reported against the rabbonims psak and all he had to do was register on the sex-offenders list for a few years. If you believe the molesters will get thrown into prison it’ll only be for 6 months and it won’t change them at all.
I have a theory that “handle it privately” is really code for money changing hands.
In other words, rather then go to the police, the victim’s parents let it be known
that the case will go away, for say,50K. The Aguda would be quite happy with such a result, since the evil outside world doesnt hear about our dirty laundry. Only problem is… the predator will victimize again. Can anyone confirm
that this indeed happens?