Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Case of James A. Cohen

Case of James A. Cohen
(AKA: James Cohen)

Counselor for a Jewish Youth Group Bus Trip Around the USA
Skokie, IL
Sioux City, IA
Synagogue Youth Director - Davie, FL
Coleman Federal Correctional Complex - Coleman, FL
 

In 1997, after boys complained about the conduct of James A. Cohen he was removed from abuse trip by the sponsors, United Synagogue Youth of New York.  Cohen admitted he performed a sex act on one boy and fondled three boys over a 10-day period during the bus trip.Three of the boys were asleep at the time and awakened to discover the molestation, authorities said. Cohen tried to convince one of the boys that he had been dreaming, court papers showed.

Cohen admitted that a major reason he took part in the trip was to engage in sexual acts with underage boys.

The assaults took place in Sioux City, IA, and Yellowstone National Park, in addition to Skokie, IL
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Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.
 
Table of Contents:   

2003
  1. Molester gets 9 years for assaulting 4 boys; Judge calls him 'worst nightmare' (07/30/2003)
  2. Child Predator Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison Federal Judge Calls Defendant 'Parents' Worst Nightmare' (07/30/2003)
  3. Man gets 9 years for molesting teens on bus trip (07/30/2003)

2006
  1. Federal Bureau of Prisons (12/12/2006)

2012
  1. Federal Bureau of Prisons - Locator (01/02/2013)
  2. Illinois Sex Offender Registry (01/02/2013)
     
 
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Molester gets 9 years for assaulting 4 boys; Judge calls him 'worst nightmare'
By Matt O'Connor
Chicago Tribune - July 30, 2003

A former counselor for a goodwill cross-country bus trip organized by a Jewish youth group was sentenced to 9 years in prison Tuesday in federal court in Chicago for molesting four underage boys, including one in a Skokie hotel, in 1997.

About 2 1/2 years later, though he was aware that the FBI was investigating his conduct on the bus trip, James A. Cohen molested a fifth boy whose family he had befriended as the youth director of a Florida synagogue, authorities said.

"For a mother, you're the worst nightmare out there," U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said in imposing the sentence on Cohen, 33, of Davie, Fla. Prosecutors had sought the maximum 10-year prison term.

Cohen's lawyer, Kent Carlson, said his client has confronted his "demons," acknowledged for the first time that he was the victim of sexual abuse as a child and asked for treatment.

But Assistant U.S. Atty. Brian Hayes questioned why Cohen hadn't sought treatment in 1997 after boys complained about his conduct and he was removed from the bus trip by the sponsors, United Synagogue Youth of New York.

In pleading guilty in January, Cohen admitted he performed a sex act on one boy and fondled three boys over a 10-day period during the bus trip in the summer of 1997.

Three of the boys were asleep at the time and awakened to discover the molestation, authorities said. Cohen tried to convince one of the boys that he had been dreaming, court papers showed.

The assaults took place in Sioux City, Iowa, and Yellowstone National Park, in addition to Skokie, authorities said.

Cohen admitted that a major reason he took part in the trip was to engage in sexual acts with underage boys.

Cohen also admitted that in late 1999 or early 2000 he molested a 13-year-old Florida boy at his home while staying there after religious services.

The victim has told authorities he attempted suicide, was hospitalized for a time and underwent counseling for 3 1/2 years for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to court papers, one of the boys victimized on the bus trip said he feels less secure and less confident with women because of the abuse.

"I think about it every day," he wrote in a victim-impact statement. "Someone I trusted used me, and that hurts."

Early this year, while free on bail, Cohen fled Florida with $158,000 he stole from his condo association, leaving behind a note for his wife that threatened suicide, authorities said. Four days later, he was arrested in Las Vegas driving a stolen car and armed with a loaded handgun, authorities said.

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Child Predator Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison - Federal Judge Calls Defendant 'Parents' Worst Nightmare'
NBC5 - July 30, 2003


CHICAGO -- A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a man to serve 9 years in prison and called him a parent's "worst nightmare" for molesting teenage boys in a youth group while chaperoning them on a cross-country bus trip.

The sentence imposed on James Cohen, 33, of Davie, Fla., was just a year shy of the maximum penalty.

Cohen originally was facing a penalty range of 78 to 97 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of traveling in interstate with the intention of having unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

But prosecutors filed motions seeking to increase the range to the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison because he molested four boys on the bus trip and a fifth boy after being notified by federal agents that he was being investigated.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer agreed to increase the penalty range to one of 87 to 108 months in prison.

When imposing the 108-month sentence, Pallmeyer said, "For somebody who's a mother, you're kind of a worst nightmare that's out there. Whatever temptation you felt, you should have resisted."

Cohen also was ordered to undergo sex offender treatment and not to have unsupervised contact with minors while serving 3 years supervised release. In addition, he must pay $13,000 restitution.

Defense lawyer Kent Carlson said Cohen did not care how long of a sentence the judge imposes. "He wants one thing out of this judge; he wants treatment," Carlson said.

Cohen wanted to break the cycle of abuse, said Carlson, stating that Cohen and his mother were sexually abused when they were younger.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes said Cohen should have gone for help after federal agents began questioning him about allegations that he molested four boys on the bus trip. Instead, Cohen molested a fifth boy while in Florida.

Cohen's $4,500 recognizance bond was revoked after the Nevada Highway Patrol arrested him on Jan. 6, 2003. Officers found him in possession of a loaded Taurus .40-calibur handgun.

He had left a note for his wife in Florida saying he was traveling to Las Vegas to commit suicide, Hayes said. The court had not granted him permission to travel to Nevada.

Cohen told the court on Tuesday that he kept his feelings regarding the sexual abuse he had suffered bottled up. "It's been eating me up inside," he said.

But he said he was cured the day he attempted to commit suicide. He added that he asked God for forgiveness for his actions, and wanted to write to the families of the boys he molested and ask for their forgiveness, too.

After Pallmayer said she was not sure the families would want to hear from the sons' molester, the judge asked the lawyers to work something out.

Cohen admitted in a plea agreement with prosecutors that his motive for chaperoning and supervising a cross-country bus trip for teenagers was so he could engage in unlawful sexual conduct with boys below the age of 18.

A New York City-based Jewish youth group had sponsored the trip, which lasted from June 23 to Aug. 12, 1997. While the group stayed at a Holiday Inn in Skokie on Aug. 10, 1997, Cohen massaged the back of one of four teenage boys inside one of the hotel rooms. After the boys fell asleep, Cohen performed a sex act on the 16-year-old boy whose back he had massaged, the plea said. When the boy awoke, Cohen attempted to convince him that the boy was conducting a sex act on himself while he was sleeping.

Cohen also fondled two 16-year-old boys while they slept in a cabin overnight in Yellowstone National Park on July 30, 1997. Cohen left the cabin after the boys awoke and told him to stop, the plea said.

On Aug. 5, 1997, Cohen attempted to fondle a 16-year-old boy as they were lying on a bed watching television at a hotel in Sioux City, Iowa, the plea said. After several attempts to fondle the boy were rebuffed, Cohen left the room.

Cohen, president of Harvest Condominium Associates, also admitted he defrauded the Regent Bank on Dec. 23, 2002. He issued a $158,000 checks made payable to "Network Associates," which he deposited into an account at SouthTrust Bank in Florida and converted the funds for his personal use. Cohen wrote three checks on the account, one addressed to himself, and the two others were made payable to aliases, the plea said.

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Man gets 9 years for molesting teens on bus trip 
BY STEVE WARMBIR
Chicago Sun Times - July 30, 2003

A federal judge called a former counselor who molested teenage boys in a youth group a mother's "worst nightmare," and hit him with a nine-year prison sentence Tuesday.

James A. Cohen, 33, of Davie, Fla., was a group counselor on a cross-country bus trip run by a New York City-based Jewish youth group in 1997 and molested four 16-year-old boys, prosecutors said.

He molested another boy, who was 13, in late 1999 or early 2000, even after he was aware he was under investigation for preying on kids on the bus trip, prosecutors said.

"For somebody who's a mother, you're kind of a worst nightmare," U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said, before sentencing Cohen to a tougher than usual sentence. "The abuse of your situation and their vulnerability is shocking and extremely distressing."

Cohen apologized for what he did to the teens and asked the judge to get him counseling while in prison.

"It's been eating me up inside," Cohen said.

In January this year, Cohen jumped bond on the case, stole $158,000 from the condo association he was president of and took off for Las Vegas.

He left a note behind saying he was going to kill himself.

Cohen was found in Las Vegas a few days later, in a stolen car and wearing a fanny pack with a .40-caliber Taurus handgun, a counterfeit North Miami Beach Auxiliary Police Badge and two Florida driver's licenses in other men's names.

Cohen left behind devastated victims, authorities said.

"Everyone seems to think I should know better," wrote one victim on the bus trip, who Cohen sexually abused in a hotel room in Sioux City, Iowa, when the victim was 16. "Nobody really understands what it's like for a friend to do that to you. . . . One day in the future I might meet a nice girl who I will care for deeply. I know that eventually I will have to tell her about this. I am scared that she will look at me differently because of this."

Another teenage boy who Cohen molested tried to kill himself, was put into a mental health hospital for a time and has been treated for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to court records.

"If I had not been forced into such a horrific act I would have been able to do much more with my friends, family and career," the boy wrote."Unfortunately, I was put into this experience and now must suffer for the rest of my life."
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Federal Bureau of Prisons - Locator
December 12, 2006

http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp

Inmate Information for JAMES A COHEN

Inmate Register Number : 14467-424

Name : JAMES A COHEN

Age : 35

Race : WHITE

Sex : MALE

Projected Release Date : 11/12/2010

Location : COLEMAN LOW FCI, 846 NE 54TH TERRACE, P.O.1029, COLEMAN , FL 33521

Phone Number : (352)689-4000


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Federal Bureau of Prisons - Locator
Jan. 2, 2012

http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp
 
  Name Register # Age-Race-Sex Release Date
Location
1. JAMES A COHEN 14467-424 41-White-M 01-05-2013 CHICAGO CCM





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Illinois Sex Offender Registry
Jan. 2, 2012


 
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FAIR USE NOTICE
Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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Thursday, July 03, 2003

Ritual Abuse / Extreme Abuse

Ritual Abuse / Extreme Abuse

THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

"Every day around the world and even here in the United States, children are sold into virtual slavery or trafficked for the worst forms of sexual abuse."  
–– President, Bill Clinton - 2000

 

Ritual abuse is an extreme sadistic form of abuse of children and non-consenting adults. It is methodical, systematic sexual, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse, which often includes mind control, torture, and highly illegal and immoral activities such as murder, child pornography and prostitution. The abuse is justified by a religious or political ideology.

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Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.


Table of Contents:

Articles
  1. McMartin Preschool Revisited (Part III - The Wall) (1992)
  2. Hypnosis in MPD: Ritual Abuse" (The Greenbaum Speech)  (06/25/1992)
  3. Fact Sheet: Ritual Abuse (12/01/1996) 
  4. Witchcraft and Judaism (09/28/2000) 
  5. Archaeological Investigations of the McMartin Preschool Site, Manhattan Beach, California (06/16/1998)
  6. A Brief Introduction to the Authentic Kabbalah

Audio Tapes
  1. Dreamweavers:  Child Abuse and Advocacy  (04/11/1997) - Sponsored by Believe the Children, International Council on Cultism and Ritual Trauma, Mothers Against Sexual Abuse (MASA), Survivors and Victims Empowered (SAVE).
  2. The Tapestry of Ritual Child Abuse: Past, Present and Future  (06/16/1995) - Recordings from The Tapestry of Ritual Child Abuse: Past, Present and Future, which was sponsored by Believe the Children.
  3. Ritual Child Abuse: Disclosures in the '80s, Backlash in the 90's  (06/10/1994) - Recordings from Ritual Child Abuse: Disclosures in the '80s, Backlash in the 90's, which was sponsored by Believe the Children.
  4. Heartbreak Through Healing: Facing the Reality of Sexual and Ritual Abuse of Children  (04/02/1993) - Recordings from From Heartbreak Through Healing: Facing the Reality of Sexual and Ritual Abuse of Children, which was sponsored by Believe the Children.

Clinical Pages
  1. Ritual Abuse Hot-Line Training (2001) 

Legal/Law Enforcement/Government
  1. Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Testifying at Legislative Hearings
  2. Conviction List: Ritual Child Abuse (07/29/1997)
  3. Illinois Public Act #87-1167 - Ritualized Abuse of a Child - Exclusions, Penalties, Definition (01/01/1993)
  4. Illinois Public Act 90-0088 - Ritualized Abuse of a Child, Ritual Mutilation (07/11/1997)
  5. Idaho Statutes - Title 18:  RITUALIZED ABUSE OF A CHILD -- EXCLUSIONS -- PENALTIES --  DEFINITION 
  6. Severe Animal Cruelty in Ohio Emphasizes Importance Of Felony Animal Cruelty Laws

Survivor Organizations and Resources
  1. ACHES-MC (Advocacy Committee for Human Experimentation Survivors - Mind Control)
  2. Survivorship
  3. S.M.A.R.T - Ritual Abuse Newsletter
  4. Many Voices - Hope For People Recovering From Trauma and Dissociation

Books:
  1. Don't Make Me Go Back Mommy (07/01/1990)



Movies and Documentaries:
  1. The Devils Bride (1968)

Cases of Ritual Abuse within Jewish Communities:
  1. Case of Rabbi Elior Chen
  2. Case of Rabbi Jacob Frank (AKA: Yaakov Frank) and the Frankist Movement 
  3. Case of Rabbanit Bruria Keren (AKA: Burka Wearing Mother) 
  4. Rogers Park JCC Day Care Center
  5. Case of Michal Schwartz Shenbaum  (AKA: Unnamed Abusive Mother From Jerusalem)
  6. Case of Rabbi Ben Zion Sobel  
  7. Case of Rabbi Hershel J. Worch  
  8. Case of Sabbatai Zevi   


Related Topics
  1. Survivors of Spiritual Abuse
  2. Child Pornography
  3. Child Prostitution and Human Trafficking 
  4. Cults, Missionaries and Sexual Victimization
  5. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  6. Dissociative Disorders
  7. Sexual Violence and Suicide: Information and Prevention
  8. Definition of Terms relating to Sexual Victimization
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FAIR USE NOTICE

Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." –– Margaret Mead
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Case of the Jewish School in Manchester

Case of the Jewish School in Manchester
Manchester, England

A Jewish school in Manchester was under investigation by social services over allegations that pupils have been mentally abused. Concerned parents sought action from the school after it was alleged that staff members had victimized young pupils in front of their classmates. On one occasion a teacher is alleged to have told a child he had no future in life and that if he were in his place he would have committed suicide.
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Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.

Table of Contents: 

  1. School 'Mental Abuse' Probe (07/03/2003)
  2. Abuse Probe Fizzles (08/07/2003)

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School 'Mental Abuse' Probe
by Alex Sholem
TotallyJewish.com - July 3, 2003

A Jewish school in Manchester is under investigation by social services over allegations that pupils have been mentally abused.

Concerned parents sought action from the school after it was alleged that staff members had victimised young pupils in front of their classmates.

On one occasion a teacher is alleged to have told a child he had no future in life and that if he were in his place he would have committed suicide. In a separate incident a teacher is accused of ordering a child to draw pictures of frightening creatures he called "harmful angels." He then told the child that if he disrupted the class, the creatures would destroy him.

According to one source, parents who confronted the teacher involved in the alleged incidents saw their concerns allegedly greeted with threats and misleading statements.

A spokesperson for Manchester social services said: "We can confirm that an investigation is taking place concerning allegations at a school. We would not wish to identify the focus of that investigation at this stage."


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Abuse Probe Fizzles
by Alex Sholem - Aug 7, 2003
TotallyJewish.com


Social services this week said they would not be undertaking any further investigations into alleged abuse at a Jewish school in Manchester.

The school, which cannot be named for legal reasons, came under the spotlight last month after information was passed on to the police concerning allegations that teachers at the school had mentally abused young pupils in front of their classmates.

But a spokesman for Manchester social services said: "The child protection unit has interviewed the source of the allegations and they've found there's no allegations that can be substantiated, so there will be no active investigation taking place at this time."

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FAIR USE NOTICE
Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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Tuesday, July 01, 2003

Throw Away Children of God?

© (2003, Revised 2010) by Vicki Polin, MA, LCPC


 “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.”  -- Anne Frank
Can you imagine being deserted on the streets by your parents at the age of six or seven? What would you do? How could you fend for yourself? What happens when you get hungry, tired or when darkness comes? Can you imagine the terror?  These sorts of predicaments are exactly how one would describe a “Throw Away Child". Recently this term has been used by several adult survivors of child abuse -- coming from all faiths, as a way to describe their feelings of being turned away when trying to connect or re-connect with various religious leaders, faith based communities and or even to God. 
The first representative a child has of God is that of their parents.  If one or both of their parents were abusive, the child believes that God is abusive.  The same could be said for those who are incest survivors many believe that God must also be a pedophile.  

Survivors who were abused in their home, often grew up without mentally healthy role models, or even a stable home environment. One of their issues is learning how to trust.  This is not an easy task for the survivor, nor will it be easy for an individual who wants to reach out to mentor them.
Individuals who want to help survivors have to remember  that even though a person may be physiologically and chronologically an adult, on an emotional and even on a spiritual level an adult survivor of abuse may still be in their infancy.  We all must be mindful when survivors discuss their thoughts and feelings -- especially when it comes to their own personal experiences and understanding when they describe the problems they have connecting with a higher power (AKA: God). One should never shame or blame a survivor of child abuse for their victimization, their beliefs, or their inability to feel safe when it comes to spiritual matters.
Survivors of child abuse often have never been allowed or given the opportunity to work through various issues and or to learn and develop the needed skills to grow spiritually.  The good thing is that these misunderstandings can be turned around with the right interventions.  
To help these types of survivors, one must try to understand the individual person they want to help.  No two survivors are alike.  It is important to really understand where each individual survivor is coming from emotionally and how much time, energy and patience will be required to establish a trusting relationship.  
When a survivor trusts someone enough to disclose their childhood abuse histories, they are often shunned or ignored by those in faith based communities. When this occurs the survivor not only feels that they had been deserted by the community they may also feel as if God is once again doing the same thing. 
All too often survivors of child abuse feel as if they are wearing a scarlet letter. They often feel as if their very essence is no good. Too many feel as if they have no purpose in life and or that they were born evil. 
It is also not that uncommon for those who were abused as children to feel suicidal.  Unfortunately too many survivors have acted out these feelings, and way too many have died. 
"Maureen", a professor at a major university in the United States said she felt as if she was "a bad, dumb, dirty, little girl" after an encounter with her rabbi. Maureen was having a spiritual crisis, and needed guidance. She went to someone she trusted. She did the right thing, yet the rabbi had no training or experience dealing with abuse issues. He told her that he didn't believe her. The rabbi not only knew Maureen's parents; he also considered them to be his friends. The rabbi didn’t have the education or training to understand that there could be a connection between Maureen's eating disorder and the abuse in her home as a child. During the encounter, Maureen disclosed she was crushed and described that "her child within" her was emotionally devastated. 
After several attempts of connecting with other forms of spirituality, Maureen decided that "organized religion wasn't for her".  She came to the conclusion that there was no such thing as a God. She even stated "If there was, why would God allow these things to happen to me?"  
Maureen also figured that since the other rabbis she contacted, or other religious leaders from other faiths could not answer her questions, then the concept of a God was just a myth.  
Times are changing, Maureen is trying once again to connect with her spiritual identity, along with hundreds (perhaps thousands) of other adult survivors of all faiths.
Our religious leaders and communities are being given an opportunity to help heal some of these very deep wounds. 
Many adult survivors are filled with a lot of anger, mistrust, and sadness. My hope is that everyone will open their hearts and be able to embrace those who have been victimized as children, so that they can heal and grow.  This is not going to be an easy task. 
We all must realize there are thousands of survivors who feel as if they have been "thrown away", not only by our spiritual leaders, yet by the communities they grew up within. 
As a society, we all have the responsibility to listen, learn and allow them to bear-witness. 
The truth is that we will also be forced to deal with our own personal feelings. There is a possibility that those who mentor survivors, may end up with symptoms of secondary post-traumatic stress disorder, compassion fatigue, and or vicarious victimization. But as civilized people, we MUST help them heal.


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Vicki POlin is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in private practice; and is also the founder and director of The Awareness Center, Inc.

Mandated Reporting - Rabbi Yosef Blau

Confronting Abuse In The Orthodox Community  
© (2003) by Rabbi Yosef Blau
- Reprinted by Permission -
Originally Printed in Nefesh News, 7:9, July 2003
 
It is no longer possible to ignore the tragic reality that sexual, physical and emotional abuse exists within the Orthodox community. Recent revelations about rabbis and teachers abusing adolescents, often continuing to abuse for decades, dramatically remind us that our existing mechanisms are failing to deal with the problem. I am not aware of any statistics which clarify whether the numbers of offenders is substantial, but even a small number can traumatize hundreds of victims.
The full measure of the horrendous nature of abuse is not always apparent from a technical halakhic perspective. Two teenagers touching each other inappropriately are guilty of the same sin as a forty-year old rabbi touching a thirteen-year old female student. We intuitively recognize that the rabbi has used his position as an authority figure to manipulate a vulnerable child, though she is an adult according to halakha. A pedophile who abuses minors, even if he gets their approval, is halakhically a rapist, but not if he does the same with an adolescent boy or girl.
 
It is even more difficult to pinpoint the sin when dealing with emotional abuse and manipulation. While one can make similar technical arguments in other areas of halakha, its significance in this context is its use as cover for the many who do not want to deal with the full implications of confronting rabbinical abuse. Not wanting to see themselves as lacking sympathy for victims, people can claim to be concerned about preserving halakhic standards. How rare it is to have two witnesses who saw the abuse.
 
Even when the pattern of abuse is clear, the question remains how to effectively deal with the abuser in a way that at least limits his ability to move elsewhere and continue to abuse new people. Schools fire abusive teachers, who then move to another community and start teaching (and abusing) in the new yeshiva. Going public is seen as causing a hilul Hashem and going to secular authorities as mesira.
 
Virtually all poskim agree that if there is danger to future victims then there is no halakhic issue of mesira, but practically the taboo of mesira remains. Victims are discouraged from coming forward on other grounds as well; it will potential hurt shiddukhim , not only for the victim for members of his family as well. Compassion is expressed for the reputations of members of the abuser's family as well. The probability that family members may have suffered abuse themselves and continue to suffer from being in ongoing contact with the abuser, is not understood.
 
Taking the accusation to a Beis Din, unfortunately, is rarely effective. Few rabbis have any training in recognizing abuse and rabbinical courts have no investigative arm. Some abusers are charismatic leaders and have followers who will say whatever they ask them to say. Perjury to a Beis Din is not punished and in many cases the witness, in support of his mentor, has no difficulty with distorting what occurred. The cultic element in the guru's leadership is hard for us acknowledge. A rabbi promoting Judaism is seen as incapable of being a cult leader.
 
Newspapers, particularly Jewish newspapers are assumed to be anti-Orthodox. Speaking to them is almost the act of a traitor. Yet at the present time the media have played a primary role in the increased awareness of this problem; an abuser whose name has appeared in the newspaper is unlikely to be hired by a new school or youth movement.
 
Two recent cases point to differing approaches now being used. In one story from Israel, a commission including a rabbi, psychologist and a judge evaluated allegations and the accused was fired from his teaching position. He hired a lawyer and is fighting for reinstatement. The Israeli media have picked up the story. A recent article in Maariv broadened the discussion to quote varying views about rabbis counseling married women.
 
The other case involved allegations that been investigated twenty years ago and a resulting agreement that an individual would leave Jewish education, which was not effectively enforced. After two decades it became difficult to reconstruct what had occurred. Supporters of the accused spoke freely to the media while victims used pseudonyms. New allegations surfaced and a major expose appeared in the papers and a new Beis Din was formed to decide how to deal with the accusations. While no formal announcement has been made, their apparent decision was to send the case to a religious court in Israel that will deal with the charges.
 
Despite growing awareness and concern, no consensus has yet emerged. Rabbis are not trained to recognize abuse nor given an approach to aid them in responding when they realize that it is occurring. Principals are not equipped to respond to accusations against teachers in their schools. Rabbinical organizations do not have rules of appropriate conduct. Accused abusers retain membership in these organizations without any process to remove their names.
 
Our community has not been educated to recognize abuse nor to appreciate the ongoing trauma of victims. Headlines in newspapers are not effective educational tools. Often the response is to express anger at the paper and then ignore the abuse. Until the mentality of the community changes little progress will be made.
 
Even if a method will be developed to get rabbinical approval for victims to go to the police, much of the problem will remain. Not every manifestation of abuse involves criminal behavior. "Rabbis" who seduce women as a part of outreach or marital therapy are not guilty of a punishable offence. Proper utilization of secular authorities is a necessary step but clearly not a total solution.
 
In Chicago after there were a number of serious incidents, a special Beis Din whose members are respected across the Orthodox spectrum was established to deal with accusations of abuse. Similar rabbinical courts in other major cities, whose judges would be trained to recognize abuse and would have appropriate mental health professionals as consultants, should be introduced. Creating special rabbinical courts is a powerful statement that a serious problem needs to be addressed.
 
Nefesh professionals have a critical role to play in educating the Orthodox community, in treating and supporting victims and in serving as consultants for schools and organizations. Only people who are trained can lead a systematic campaign explaining the nature of abuse and the need to confront it openly. Stigma has to be removed from victims. When the identity of an abuser is revealed the response of far too many is "We have known that for years." Enabling abusers to continue, covering their crimes to protect the image of the community, contributes to innocents being traumatized. Judith Herman in her book on trauma points out that both the abuser and the victims turn to others for support. The victim needs action while the abuser only asks for our silence.
 
It is time to stop the silence. The true hilul Hashem is that we allow victims to continue to suffer in order to preserve our community's image.
 
Rabbi Yosef Blau is Mashgiach Ruchani of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary