Brooklyn, NY – Advocates working on behalf of Jewish victims of sexual abuse have cancelled a meeting with Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, saying they have grown weary of waiting for him to institute reforms and name alleged perpetrators in the Jewish community, according to a report in the New York Daily News (http://nydn.us/RMonJP).
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Hynes last met with a contingent of concerned activists on June 9, and had promised to continue dialoguing with them.
Mark Mayel Appel, who founded the child advocacy group, Voice of Justice, said Hynes continues to play “the same game” and “appease the rabbis in Brooklyn.” He added that “there’s no point in going” to meet with Hynes since he has not moved to prosecute rabbis or other Jewish community leaders who harass victims while continuing to protect molesters.
But Hynes spokesman Jerry Schmetterer denied that the meeting had been cancelled, saying the meeting was only temporarily put off owing to scheduling difficulties. “It’s an ongoing process,” he said. “We are all happy on this end to continue.”
To date, a new meeting has not been scheduled.
He makes it sound like “Appeasing the Rabbis in Brooklyn” is a bad thing…
I have no reason (yet) to believe that “The Brooklyn Rabbis” have ulterior motives.
I still give them the benefit of the doubt that they are ruling according to their best Halachic judgment.
As for the Rabbis that disagree with their judgment? Nu, differences like this have been going on in Rabbinical circles for thousands of years.
The opinions of laymen and politicians are mostly irrelevant. They don’t get an official vote in Torah matters. They may only make suggestions.
As for harassment? Well, that depends on how one defines “harassment”.
Besides, It seems that although there IS some wrong harassment going on, but that it’s committed by non-Rabbis. The Harassers are mostly just some Shvitzers.
Sounds like the DA came to the conclusion that Mark is just hot air and doesn’t really represent anyone.
I accept your version although I don’t know you, because it’s unlikely anybody would fabricate such a story just to post on VIN.
However, you are only an eye-witness to the “trial” and “verdict. You cannot testify or substantiate what the Rav did or did not confess in private. (Or can you?)
Perhaps you were lied to about that report (of the Rav’s confession.)
Perhaps the Rav really did rule with honesty and integrity.
And yes, perhaps this Rav is weak and/or corrupt and thankfully in the minority…
I wonder how the story ended. Is the child recovered? Is the rapist still at it? Was there ANY retribution yet? Is the Rav still active?
And the biggest question of all: Do you have the time and patience to answer my questions?…