Jerusalem – A high ranking Israeli official once again finds himself in the hot seat after being accused of using his influence to obtain privileges for imprisoned sex offenders, an unknown number of which hail from the Charedi community.
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The Times of Israel (http://bit.ly/2VrRPND) cited a Channel 13 report that charged Deputy Health Minister MK Yaakov Litzman with advocating for convicted pedophiles and rapists, allegedly pressuring psychiatrists and others to allow home visits and additional perks on behalf of at least ten inmates. As previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2Vw8wHC) Litzman has been questioned about possible wrongdoings after intervening in the extradition of Malka Leifer who faces 74 charges of child sexual abuse in Australia.
Litzman denied any wrongdoing months ago, but one Ministry of Justice official has said that he has recordings of Litzman intervening on Leifer’s behalf.
Israeli police are reportedly looking into several cases, including one that had former Litzman aide Yaakov Tesler allegedly urging prison officials to award home visits to a convicted murderer and rapist currently serving a 14 ½ year sentence. Tesler, a member of the United Torah Judaism party who was elected to the Knesset earlier this year, said that he did nothing wrong.
“Any appeal I receive from a person asking for help, I don’t ask, are they a sex offender or not a sex offender,” said Tesler. “Every request I receive, regardless of who it is, I take care of it.”
The report says that Litzman has displayed a pattern of asking for leniency for ultra-Orthodox prisoners. Several psychiatrists have reportedly given statements to the police saying that they have been pressured by Litzman and his staff which has led to escalating tensions between the Israel Prison Service and the Ministry of Health.
An earlier police investigation opened in March is exploring allegations that Litzman and his staff forced psychiatrist Moshe Birger to have a sex offender from the Gerrer community transferred into a rehabilitation program, a move that could ultimately win him home visitation privileges as well as an early release from jail.
Litzman categorized Birger’s statements as “lies and slander that never happened.”
I guess he has something in common with Aguda
Tesler:
“Any appeal from someone asking for help I don’t ask are they a sex for offender or are they not a sex offender”
Well, Tesler, maybe you should ask. Because, you know…
MAYBE THEY ARE A SEX OFFENDER!!!
I have no problem interceding that these offenders have kosher food. But to interfere with the justice, manipulating their medical records, or pressuring doctors to report untruths is unacceptable. There is no Torah consistent basis for this, and anyone committing such offenses should be stripped of any political power, plus be arrested to stand trial.
I trust Tesler’s udgment 1000% times more then I trust Seewalds judgement, at least he was elected to something, Seewald is a self appointed publicity seeking loudmouth
He seems to be a criminal, or at least a very good friend of criminals.
#3 well said
As a Gerrer chossid I know what a wonderful man Yaakov Litzman is. He will go out of his way to help anyone. There is nothing wrong with him trying to help others.
the Times of Israel is very anti religious and prints unbased gossip as fact. Shame VIN prints their allegations as if it is true.
Just b/c you do good, does not give you a license to do bad. This is not a Litzman problem but a serious Charedei/Askan/Rav/Rosh Yeshiva problem. The more they do this the more will get disenfranchised from Yiddishkeit. So keep it up! The sooner the better for the all the cards to collapse.
With that said I will lever understand why Rabbonim stick up and protect the worse of the worse. They scream tznius and they then go ahead and protect the most untzninus thing imaginable.
I can live with the fact there are bad people among us. I cannot live with the fact that Rabbonim covered this up for years, and to my knowledge still have not publicly apologized!!