Awareness Center Leads the Way on Child Abuse Reform Efforts

Awareness Center Leads the Way on Child Abuse Reform Efforts
By Ron Cassie
Baltimore Examiner - November 30, 2008

Brooklyn Rabbi Nuchum Rosenberg, facing physical threats for speaking about child sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community, received the first "Rape Victim Advocate of the Year" award Wednesday from the Awareness Center in Pikesville.

Maryland Senator Jim Brochin and Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg

Vicki Polin, director of the Awareness Center, a Jewish coalition against sexual abuse, said Rosenberg's plight highlights problems Jewish victims have stepping forward in Baltimore as well.

"In Baltimore, rabbis are doing everything they can to discourage people from going to the police," said Polin, estimating she's met with at least 100 Baltimore-area Jewish survivors of child abuse in seven years.

"The kids are threatened with being kicked out of Jewish day schools. They are stonewalled in the community."

The award presentation at the Pikesville Library served as one of a series of events recently organized by the Awareness Center and the Child Victims Voice of Maryland, working to abolish the state statute of limitations on civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse.

Currently, victims have criminal, but not civil, recourse after their 25th birthday.

"Studies show only 10 percent of victims of childhood sexual abuse ever report it, most not until they are in their 40s, 50s and 60s," Polin said.

Susan O'Brien, an Annapolis consultant and child sexual abuse victim, said the bill presented by state Sen. Dolores Kelley, D-Baltimore County, should have bipartisan support.

"This is a child protection measure. Do I want the right to sue the guy who abused me 25 years ago? Yes, but the guy who abused me in 1978 was 23 years old at the time, and he's still out there," she said.

At a meeting Monday in Frederick, Ava Miegdzinski said a neighbor sexually abused her 5-year-old sister.

"The lawyers talked my parents out of filing a lawsuit because they said the other side's attorneys would tear my sister apart," Miegdzinski said.

"That makes us so mad today."

Child abuse survivors advocate for legal reform

By Ron Cassie

Frederick News Post - November 28, 2008 

Ava Miegdzinski endured physical and psychological trauma after being sexually abused as a 4-year-old by a Hebrew school teacher in Providence, R.I. 

At 58, Miegdzinski stepped forward publicly for the first time to discuss the repercussions of her abuse, which she said included sterility. She said she intends to lend her voice in support of legislation that would extend Maryland's statute of limitations on lawsuits involving cases of child sexual abuse. 

She described her experience during a recent public meeting at the C. Burr Artz Public Library in downtown Frederick. 

Miegdzinski said that her sister Sandra is also a victim, and that Sandra was 5 when she was sexually abused by a neighbor. 

"The lawyers talked my parents out of filing a lawsuit because they said the other side's attorneys would tear my sister apart," Miegdzinski said. "That makes us both so mad today." 

Victims of such abuse have criminal but not civil recourse after their 25th birthday. Studies show that only 10 percent of victims ever report childhood sexual abuse, and most who do wait until they are well into adulthood. 

Prosecutors aren't likely to take on cases involving sexual abuse that allegedly took place decades ago, victim advocates said, thus the need for civil remedy. 

The local meeting was sponsored by Child Victims Voice of Maryland, a coalition working to abolish the state statute of limitations on lawsuits in cases involving child sexual abuse, and The Awareness Center, a Jewish coalition against sexual abuse and assault. 

Similar events aimed at rallying support for legislation already filed by Baltimore state Sen. Delores Kelley, the Civil Actions -- Child Sex Abuse -- Statute of Limitations, were scheduled in Pikesville and in Bowie. Susan O'Brien, an Annapolis consultant and child sexual abuse victim herself, said that more events around the state will be planned before and during the General Assembly session. 

"This is a bill that should have bipartisan support," O'Brien said. "This is a child protection measure. Do I want the right to sue the guy who abused me 25 years ago? Yes, but the guy who abused me in 1978 was 23 years old at the time, and he's still out there. 

"My son Charlie is 6, I was 8," O'Brien said. "When you start having your own children, you start looking at what you can do to protect them." 

The proposed legislation has two components: extending the statute of limitations and providing a two-year window for victims of any age to come forward. 

"Education is the key," said Vicki Polin of The Awareness Center. "The simple fact is that people do not come forward until they are 40, 50 and 60 years old, and the statute of limitation needs to be extended." 

The typical child sexual predator, Polin said, will molest more than 100 children over the course of a lifetime. 

Polin and O'Brien, who led the small gathering, encouraged those in attendance to contact their local PTAs, neighborhood watch organizations and Scout leaders, and talk with those groups about the issue and proposed legislation. 

The bill does not provide victims with any special rights, O'Brien said. 

"It does not attempt to legally redefine rape, or sexual abuse, or child abuse, or any institutions. Victims still must present the merits of their claim. They still have to go court and present evidence as they would with any other court proceeding." 

Although only 2 percent of child abuse victims claim to have been abused by clergy (46 percent claim to have been abused by a family member, the rest by teachers, neighbors and other adults), the Maryland Catholic Conference has played an outsized role in lobbying against expanding the statute of limitations in the past, Polin and O'Brien said. 

That concern, plus the Catholic Church's ongoing sexual abuse crisis, brought Charlie Diffenbaugh, a member of St. Ignatius in Urbana, to the meeting in Frederick. 

"It's my opinion that the church should stop lobbying to defeat this type of legislation and finally face up to the issue," Diffenbaugh said. "They're spending thousands of dollars of people's money to defeat this, and I think that's a real problem."

Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg Named the 2008 Recipient of the RVA Award of They Year by The Awareness Center, Inc.

Vicki Polin, Senator James Brochin, Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg


November 26, 2008 - Pikesville, Maryland

The Awareness Center, Inc. presented Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg with the first annual "RAPE VICTIM ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR AWARD" -- in recognition of his dedication, determination and also for risking his life in hopes of helping those who have been sexually abused in orthodox Jewish communities around the globe .

Presenting the 2008 award was Maryland's Senator, James Brochin and Vicki Polin, Founder/Director of The Awareness Center, Inc.

The Awareness Center leads the way on child abuse reform efforts
By Ron Cassie, Special to The Examiner
Baltimore Examiner - November 28, 2008

Brooklyn Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg, facing physical threats for speaking about child sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community, received the first "Rape Victim Advocate of the Year" award Wednesday from the Awareness Center in Pikesville.

Vicki Polin, director of the Awareness Center, a Jewish coalition against sexual abuse, said Rosenberg's plight highlights problems Jewish victims have stepping forward in Baltimore as well.

In Baltimore, rabbis are doing everything they can to discourage people from going to the police, said Polin, estimating she's met with at least 100 Baltimore-area Jewish survivors of child abuse in seven years.

The kids are threatened with being kicked out of Jewish day schools. They are stonewalled in the community.

The award presentation at the Pikesville Library served as one of a series of events recently organized by the Awareness Center and the Child Victims Voice of Maryland, working to abolish the state statute of limitations on civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse.

Currently, victims have criminal, but not civil, recourse after their 25th birthday.

Studies show only 10 percent of victims of childhood sexual abuse ever report it, most not until they are in their 40s, 50s and 60s,” Polin said.

Susan Brien, an Annapolis consultant and child sexual abuse victim, said the bill presented by state Sen. Dolores Kelley, D-Baltimore County, should have bipartisan support.

This is a child protection measure. Do I want the right to sue the guy who abused me 25 years ago? Yes, but the guy who abused me in 1978 was 23 years old at the time, and he's still out there, she said.

At a meeting Monday in Frederick, Ava Miegdzinski said a neighbor sexually abused her 5-year-old sister.

The lawyers talked my parents out of filing a lawsuit because they said the other side attorneys would tear my sister apart, Miegdzinski said.

That makes us so mad today.

Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg Receives Award - Presented by Senator Jim Brochin

Vicki Polin, Senator James Brochin, Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg

Pikesville, MD -- The Awareness Center, Inc. presented Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg with the first annual "RAPE VICTIM ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR AWARD" -- in recognition of his dedication, determination and also for risking his life in hopes of helping those who have been sexually abused in orthodox Jewish communities around the globe .

Regarding New York Assemblymen Dov Hikind

     New York Assemblymen, Dov Hikind

Regarding New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind
By Vicki Polin
The Awareness Center - November 25, 2008
Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand idly by the blood of thy neighbor" (Leviticus 19:16).

It saddens me a great deal to see how a few Jewish leaders in the orthodox world appear to be manipulating community members into believing they do not have to report heinous crimes to child protective services. Orthodox children deserve the same rights and protection as other children in the Unitied States of America.

I personally believe that Assemblyman Dov Hikind is wrong and is violating the civil rights of children from Torah observant homes. Each day that goes by that he refuses to work with law enforcement officials means another child is being sexually victimized.

One has to realize that turning over the names of alleged sex offenders and also those who were allegedly sexually abused to child protection workers does not mean that the names will be made public. It only means that there is a possibility that those who perpetrate crimes against our children may be prosecuted and those who have been sexually victimized will be offered “REAL” help.

As Jews, we all have moral responsibility to protect our youth. We all must consider ourselves as mandated reporters -- meaning if you suspect a child is at risk of harm you make a hot-line report (to child protective services in your state). Leave the investigating to those who have the specialized training and can conduct forensic investigations. Dov Hikind does not have this sort of training nor does those he “works” with.

Help Make Maryland Safer for Our Children Also Meet Rabbi Nochum Rosenberg and Maryland Senator Jim Brochin

Help Make Maryland Safer for Our Children

Both Maryland Senator Jim Brochin and Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg will be at the event sponsored by The Awareness Center and Child Victims Voice Maryland on Wednesday.

Wednesday, November 26 at 6:15 p.m. Pikesville Library, 1301 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD

SEATING IS LIMITED - Reserved Seating
RSVP: The Awareness Center, Inc.  E-mail: Vicki Polin

Childhood sexual abuse continues to occur at staggering levels, regardless of race, religion, culture, education and socioeconomic levels. No child is immune from this tragedy. Estimates from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and numerous academic studies indicate that one in four girls is sexually abused before the age of 18, and one in six boys will have been abused by the age of 18. In most instances, the sex offender is known to the child, making reporting and disclosure for those victimized extremely difficult. The average child sexual predator will abuse 117 children in his/her lifetime. Most survivors never report their abuse. It's a fact that sexual predators count on.

Come learn about legislation that will be introduced during the upcoming 2009 Maryland General, which will increase and possibly eliminate the statue of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse to take civil action against their abuser. Increasing or eliminating Maryland’s outdated statute of limitations gives child victims of unspeakable sexual trauma the chance to speak up and hold their abusers accountable for their heinous actions.

The bill addresses childhood sexual abuse in three distinct ways: Protecting children from the devastating and long-term impacts of sexual abuse; Exposing sexual predators currently protected by archaic laws; and helping victims of childhood sexual abuse through their healing process.

This event is open to adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, those who advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse, parents, teachers, public safety officials, mental health professionals, doctors, nurses and other interested citizens.
For more information on Rabbi Nochem Rosenberg:

• New York Daily News
• Rabbi Nochem Rosenberg Speaking Out
• Photographs from the News Media event
• Washington Post -doesn't mention Rosenberg by name but mentions what happened to him.

Child sex abuse claims divide Orthodox community

Child sex abuse claims divide Orthodox community

By Jennifer Peltz

Associated Press - November 24, 2008

 

New York - It started as a radio program discussion about a taboo subject: child molestation among members of the insular world of Orthodox Jews.


Since he broached the subject on his radio show this summer, says a state assemblyman, dozens of people have come forward with stories about children being molested in the Orthodox community, which strictly follows Jewish law.


Dov Hikind says as many as four people a day have come to him over the past three months with painful accounts of secrets often kept for decades, accusing more than 60 individuals.
Hikind says he would eventually consider unmasking accused sexual predators but wants to focus now on setting up a broader framework for addressing the issue.


His campaign has set off a firestorm in the Orthodox community, where people are reluctant to involve secular authorities. One rabbi said he got death threats for speaking out.


"In our community, people don't talk about the things that they've come to my office" and revealed, said Hikind, himself an Orthodox Jew.


Among other faiths, the subject has meant turmoil in recent years for the Roman Catholic church. For decades, church leaders often transferred predatory clergy among parishes without telling parents or police. Victims have won millions in settlements from dioceses.


Members of a polygamous offshoot of the Mormon church have been charged with assaulting children in Texas. Children have been removed from the Arkansas compound of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries amid allegations of beatings and sexual abuse.


Hikind said he won't breach victims' trust by disclosing his private exchanges to prosecutors - or to a lawyer who subpoenaed him in a civil case against a school accused of concealing abuse.

However, he has been working on devising mechanisms within the Orthodox world for reporting sex abuse and sharing information on school staffers' previous positions. He aims to present a plan to rabbis this winter.


Studies have found Orthodox Jews account for as much as 10 percent of Jews nationwide, and a far greater share in parts of the New York metro area. Some 37 percent of the more than 516,000 Jews in Brooklyn are Orthodox, according to the UJA-Federation of New York, a Jewish social-service group.


Critics have said sex abuse claims are sometimes handled quietly in Orthodox rabbinical courts, rather than being reported to authorities.


However, some sexual abuse cases involving Orthodox Jewish schools have spilled into the secular legal system in Brooklyn.


In one case, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko was charged with sexually abusing boys at an Orthodox school. He admitted no sexual wrongdoing but pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge. Kolko was sentenced to three years of probation and has been dismissed from the school, said his lawyer, Jeffrey Schwartz. The school's lawyer didn't immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.


Six former students are suing the school, saying it covered up Kolko's misdeeds. Their lawyer subpoenaed Hikind this month, seeking to find out whether he learned anything relevant to the case during his impromptu fact-finding.

He said lawyers were assessing how to respond to the subpoena.

Plaintiffs' lawyer Michael Dowd said he was willing to safeguard victims' identities but is determined to pursue whatever information Hikind has.

"I don't question his motivation, but at the same time, I don't accept it as a reason" not to provide information that could expose child molesters, said Dowd, who won $11.4 million in damages last year for two people raped as teenagers by a Catholic youth minister on Long Island.


Hikind said he encourages people who confide in him to talk to the authorities. But none will, he said, for fear of ostracism.


One rabbi and psychologist told Jewish media outlets he was hounded into quitting a task force on child molestation, days after Hikind appointed him to lead it in September; the panel is going on with other members. Another New York rabbi told the Daily News this month that vicious fliers and death-threat calls scared him into shutting down a sex abuse victims' hot line he had set up.


Some victims' advocates see little point in collecting information without bringing in law enforcement.


"The only way things are going to be cleaned up" is with authorities' involvement, said Vicki Polin, the founder of The Awareness Center, a Baltimore-based nonprofit group that works with victims of sexual abuse in Jewish communities.
But others praise Hikind's campaign.


"We can't achieve solutions without the public spotlight," said Elliot Pasik, an Orthodox attorney who represents plaintiffs in rabbi sex-abuse lawsuits unrelated to Kolko.

Photographs from news media event in support of Rabbi Nachum Rosenberg

© (2008) The Awareness Center, Inc.


The following are photographs were taken in New York City on November 18, 2008 at a press event that was sponsored by The Awareness Center (international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault) and SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priest).

Rabbi Nachum Rosenberg has been an outspoken rape vicitm advocate in New York city's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. He has been targeted with two death threats and an attempted murder because he advocates that those abused should report the crimes to law enforcement. The Awareness Center and SNAP joinned forces in hopes of bringing attention to the plight of both Rabbi Rosenberg and children living in Williamsburg and Borough Park (Brooklyn, NY) who have been sexually abused. The goal of both The Awareness Center and SNAP is to offer hope and healing.

NY Lawmaker Becomes Confidant on Child Sex Abuse

Associated Press - November 23, 2008 

NEW YORK (AP) -- It started as a discussion about a taboo subject: child molestation among Orthodox Jews. 

A Brooklyn assemblyman said that after he broached the subject on his radio show this summer, dozens of people came forward with stories about children being molested in the Orthodox community. As many as four people a day have come to him over the past three months with painful accounts of secrets often kept for decades, accusing more than 60 perpetrators, he said. 

But the politician, Dov Hikind, said he won't breach victims' trust by disclosing the private exchanges to prosecutors -- or to a lawyer who subpoenaed him in a civil case against a school accused of concealing abuse. 

Hikind's campaign has fueled a firestorm in the insular world of Orthodox Judaism, where mounting calls to address sex abuse are met with reluctance to turn to secular authorities. One local rabbi said he got death threats for speaking out. 

"In our community, people don't talk about the things that they've come to my office'' and revealed, said Hikind, the Orthodox son of Holocaust survivors. 

The outpouring has spurred him to work on devising mechanisms within the Orthodox world for reporting sex abuse and sharing information on school staffers' previous postings. He aims to present a plan to rabbis this winter. 

Orthodox Jews strictly follow Jewish law. Studies have found they account for as much as 10 percent of Jews nationwide, and a far greater share in parts of the New York metro area. Some 37 percent of the more than 516,000 Jews in Brooklyn are Orthodox, according to the UJA-Federation of New York, a Jewish social-service group. 

Critics have said sex abuse claims are sometimes handled quietly in Orthodox rabbinical courts, rather than being reported to authorities, though Orthodox leaders are hardly alone in trying to keep such allegations private. 

For decades, Roman Catholic leaders often transferred predatory clergy among parishes without telling parents or police. In a 2007 nationwide investigation of sex abuse by teachers, The Associated Press discovered efforts to stop individual offenders but, overall, a deeply entrenched resistance toward recognizing and fighting abuse. 

Some sexual abuse cases involving Orthodox Jewish schools have spilled into the secular legal system in Brooklyn. 

In one of the most notorious, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko was charged with sexually abusing boys at an Orthodox school. He admitted no sexual wrongdoing and pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge. Kolko was sentenced to three years of probation and has been dismissed from the school, said his lawyer, Jeffrey Schwartz. The school's lawyer didn't immediately return a telephone call. 

Six former students are suing the school, saying it covered up Kolko's misdeeds. Their lawyer subpoenaed Hikind this month, seeking to find out whether he learned anything relevant to the case during his impromptu fact-finding about sexual abuse among the Orthodox. 

Brooklyn prosecutors say they are open to hearing the claims, and Hikind said he encourages those who confide in him to talk to the authorities. But none will, he said, for fear of ostracism from a community worried about being stigmatized. 

A rabbi and psychologist told Jewish media outlets he was hounded into quitting a task force on child molestation, days after Hikind appointed him to lead it in September; the panel is going on with other members. Another Brooklyn rabbi told the Daily News this month that vicious fliers and death-threat phone calls scared him into shutting down a sex abuse victims' hot line he had set up. 

"For me to release any information from people who have come forward to me with absolute confidence ... could you imagine?'' said Hikind, a Democrat first elected in 1982. "It would destroy the entire project and would accomplish nothing.'' 

He said lawyers were assessing how to respond to the subpoena. 

Plaintiffs' lawyer Michael Dowd said he was willing to safeguard victims' identities but determined to pursue whatever information Hikind has. 

"I don't question his motivation, but at the same time, I don't accept it as a reason'' not to provide information that could expose child molesters, said Dowd, who won $11.4 million in damages last year for two people raped as teenagers by a Roman Catholic youth minister on Long Island. 

Hikind said he would ultimately consider unmasking accused sexual predators but wants to focus now on setting up a broader framework for addressing the issue. 

His endeavors have generated a torrent of debate in Orthodox circles. A recent post on the subject on the news site VosIzNeias.com generated more than 140 reader comments within 24 hours, some lauding Hikind and some blasting him. 

Some victims' advocates see little point in collecting information without bringing in law enforcement. 

"The only way things are going to be cleaned up'' is with authorities' involvement, said Vicki Polin, the founder of The Awareness Center. The Baltimore-based nonprofit group works with victims of sexual abuse in Jewish communities. 

But many observers praise Hikind's campaign. 

"We can't achieve solutions without the public spotlight,'' said Elliot Pasik, an Orthodox attorney who represents plaintiffs in rabbi sex-abuse lawsuits unrelated to Kolko.

---

Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg - Victim Advocate Speaks Out About Being Shot

Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg's life is in danger

Rabbi Rosenberg's life is in danger. There are many who are attempting to discredit him and or set him up because he has been speaking out against a community that cares more about money then they do the safety of their children.

I also fear that there are some in law enforcement who wish him ill. We all need to do what ever is possible to protect him. After several conversations I had with a particular individual I have a strong feeling that he or his family might be harmed again.

Let this be a warning that those of us who are connected to The Awareness Center are watching and demanding that he be protected.

(Rabbi Rosenberg's name is also spelled Nuchem Rosenberg or Nochum Rosenberg)

The attacks against Rabbi Rosenberg seem to happen when he's trying to go to synagogue to pray. Even though those who trying to harm him are Jewish -- I personally believe this should be considered a hate crime.

Rabbi Nauchm Rosenberg has been advocating for Jewish survivors of sexual violence in Williamsburg/Borough Park (Brooklyn) New York for over 35 years.

Over the last several months he had his life threatened if he did not close down a hotline in which he would explain to parents and children how to report sex crimes. After the second time he was warned at gun point he closed down the hot-line. Right before the Jewish holiday of Sukkot he left a message wishing the Jewish people a good holiday. During the week of Sukot he was on his way to pray at shul when there was a drive by shooting in which attempted to kill him.

Please listen to him tell his story and demand that he is protected. His goal is to help survivors make police reports and testify in court to help put an end to sex crimes in his community and around the globe.

NOTE: this is a four part series. Please watch all 4 parts.

Part 1 (in this part Rabbi Rosenberg was repeating the presentation he did at Cardozo Law School at a press event)

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Letter to the Edtior - Sad Statistics

Letter to the Edtior

Sad Statistics

The Southampton Press - November 6, 2008

http://74.205.125.148/Default/Skins/SouthamptonEast/Client.asp?Skin=SouthamptonEast&Daily=SPE&AW=1226338207250&AppName=1

I personally want to thank Jessica DiNapoli for writing the story about Edward Tellez, who was charged with third-degree sexual abuse ["Authorities Arrest Gymnastic Coach, October 30].

Those who molest children are often attracted to careers in which they can have easy access to those they prey upon. All too often we only hear stories of Catholic priests who molest. The reality is that only 2 percent of clergy (of all faiths) molest. Recent research suggests that 42 percent of all reported cases involve incest. The remaining 64 percent are perpetrated by teachers, babysitters, doctors, therapists, Boy/Girl Scout leaders, camp counselors and coaches -- like in the case of Edward Tellez.

We all need to do our best to protect our children and help those who have already been victimized. The majority of those who were sexually violated as children are unaware of how the offenses affected their lives until they have lived them. The majority of survivors don't come forward until theya re in their 40s, 50s or beyond.

Please help us learn the names of those who abused children in the past by getting involved with upcoming legislation that will allow a civil window, allowing those who have been abused the opportunity to file a civil suit against their offenders. Please contact Joseph P. Byrnes, New York City Metro Chair of SNAP (Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests), at jospbyrnes@optonline.net

Vicki Polin

Founder and CEO

(The International Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault)

Baltimore, Maryland