Meah Shearim, Israel – Child Predator Convicted After Ultra-Orthodox Community Turns Him Over to Police

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    illustration only objects in photo have no relation to the storyMeah Shearim, Israel – The Jerusalem District Court found Avraham Katz, 40, a man from the Meah Shearim neighborhood in the capital guilty of three counts of sodomy and indecent assault against minors.

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    The conviction was secured after members of the ultra-Orthodox community filed a police complaint against the man – a rare move by itself in a community which usually deals with such acts within itself.

    The indictment against Katz details three cases, which took place in mid 2006, December of 2007 and May of 2008. According to all three accounts, he would approach teenaged boys, lure them to accompany him and once they were alone he would touch them in various ways for his own gratification, sodomizing at least one of his victims as well.

    Katz pleaded not guilty on all counts, telling the court that the allegations were libelous and no more than rumors spread by his estranged wife, who he refused to give a divorce.

    The court, however, found him guilty on all counts: “The defendant failed to substantiate his claim of libelous allegations. The court finds his explanation of the events implausible.” Katz is scheduled to be sentenced in June.


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    26 Comments
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    Dovid
    Dovid
    15 years ago

    Finally.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Great news!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Thank you Nuchem

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Finally this is wondeful news,as a community we have to see more of this

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    wow! bh
    who would have ever thought that meah shearim is more in tuned with reality and progressive with the times
    than boto park, flatbush, monsey and fakewood

    BP Mom
    BP Mom
    15 years ago

    Finally! The molesters are all shaking in their pants. We’re getting tired of the “oh it’s a divorce battle” line. We’re not buying it anymore. Enough is enough! Let them all rot in jail. ! hope more people will start coming forward in our communities!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I’m really glad that they decided to turn him over rather than deal with it themselves and cover it up. This is great news, and a first step in the right direction.

    sd@dd.com
    15 years ago

    Will he now give a “get” to his wife?

    Proud Torah Jew
    Proud Torah Jew
    15 years ago

    U’biarta Harah Mikirbecha
    We are finally doing the right thing.
    May Hashem help the victims recover.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Well progress is made in baby steps, perhaps this is the start needed to stop this vile disgusting behaviour by men in the frum community. I hope the court is wise enough to sentence this beast to a very long time in jail. Let him be an example to all others.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    V’nhapoch Hu – finally the tide has turned and these scum will get what they deserve.
    Let them molest each other and be preyed upon by the nasty jailed bulvans who know how to deal with child predators.

    yid-in-bp
    yid-in-bp
    15 years ago

    This was always happening, when some one is in a divorce dispute the other side family will always do those rumors. so let me make it clear there is no new progress made on this issue in our community, its only a divorce dispute like wingarteen etc..

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    There is a lion in Meah Shearim, by the name of Rav Elyashiv, shlita, and his words move mountains. Regrettably, his clear-cut psak about handing child molesters over to the authorities has not been heard, let alone listened to, in New York. The issue is to protect our children. Rav Elyashiv is the gadol ha’dor, even for Boro Park and Monsey and Flatbush. Those who ignore the lion’s words will get hurt.

    jewinjerusalem
    jewinjerusalem
    15 years ago

    I don’t know if he’s guilty or not. It bothers me, however, that most of these cases involve someone in the process of a divorce.

    little sheep
    little sheep
    15 years ago

    #1 -what does nuchem have to do with anything?

    i’m really happy that a case from meah shearim went to court. it proves to the world that abuse does happen, and it’s ok to come out about it. if meah shearim can, then so can the rest of us!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    put him in an orbit around jupiter together with all the terrorists

    rachel
    rachel
    15 years ago

    Finally, someone had the courage to turn him in.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I don’t know the story, but the court convicting him on yhe basis of “The defendant failed to substantiate his claim of libelous allegations.” sounds like the communist court system, that he’s guilty until proven innocent.

    PMO
    PMO
    15 years ago

    We just witnessed in the last 2 weeks what happens when we don’t act on these things. If one child… ONE CHILD is so broken as to become self-destructive to the point of causing their own death. EVERYONE in our community has failed. Blood is on all of our hands. My opinion has always been that the people who defend these torturers of our children are probably sitting in the same boat with them. I cannot imagine another explanation. Rav Elyashiv, shlita, is the only respectable man standing up in our community. How sad is that.

    yeshivishyungerman
    yeshivishyungerman
    15 years ago

    if i knew about any child molester in the frum community i would immediately notify the authorities any rav who would tell me to do otherwise has blood on their hands for any future kids that would be molested by that person