At Left is Matisyou Solomon. Matt believes in sweeping child abuse under the rug as he told the agudah convention faithful. He also believes your child should always love his rebbe, even if you were or are an abuse victim of his. Matt explains that a rebbe always gets the benefit of the doubt, while his accuser the talmid does not get the benefit of the doubt. Proof: If a child accuses a rebbe of molesting and abusing him, then according to matt, it does NOT even merit an investigation to determine the facts. What a nice man, what a"Gadol Hador" isn't he? Matt REALLY cares about your children. doesn't he?
Other clueless rabonim who spoke at the convention.
Rabbi Wachsman - comparing Korach and doson veavirum to those who speak against child abuse (is wachsman living in the same world as us?) Wachsman continues his stupidity rantings.
"But to blame gedolim, who work so tirelessly and with such great personal sacrifice on behalf of Klal Yisroel and individual Jews, for even real and present communal problems, is something cruel and evil".
I have a message for you Wachsman. Cruel and Evil are you and the rest of the thug rabbis who sit on your behinds all day and care more about an Eruv for shabbos, then you do for the safety of our children who you recklessly abandoned. You care more about your Kovod than anything else. You and the rest of the angels of death dressed in black, would rather a little boy be raped by his rebbe, and that the rebbe's deeds go unnoticed and unpunished for the sake of avoiding a big chilul hashem. You say to yourself that we cannot admit to the horrible truth, it will make us, pious and righeous rabbi's that we are, look very guilty, and we Jews just do not sin ever.
I know how thug rabbi's think. They think for themselves only. If reputations must be saved, than it is permissible to coverup the crimes. It is permissible to admonish the victims for the sake of trying to save face by ignoring reports of abuse of students by their Rebbe. It is permissible to allow a Rabbi child molester to keep his job for the sake of saving the Yeshiva's reputationand also the "rabbi's" reputation.
It is more important for these Rabbi's to "tone" down a Simcha, than to investigate cases of child abuse. Somebody really has their priorities in the wrong places and because of that reason, we have dumbfounded and unfit Rabonim who live in the past but not in the present. They live for today, but not for tomorrow!
Look at the lunacy below for all the proof you need on how SO OUT OF TOUCH from reality these "Rabonim" are.
Pointing to the example of the "simcha guidelines" issued by gedolei Yisroel four years ago, designed to tone down chasunos and related celebrations, the Rosh Hayeshiva asked: "Do we just talk about daas Torah, or live it?"
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel -
How "diametrically opposed," observed Rabbi Zwiebel, is the halachic attitude toward the slander of Torah leaders, which is considered an especially grievous sin. Indeed, he noted, halochoh requires that talmidei chachomim be judged favorably even in situations where other people may not be entitled to the benefit of the doubt.
Yes, according to Zwiebel it is prohibited from slandering a child molester who is a rebbe, because it is Lashon Harah. Can you believe this garbage? I mean under what circumstances can we ever accuse a Rebbe of wrongdoing? According to the likes of Zweiebel, NEVER (scratching my head).
Perhaps the most telling statement of the night that Rabonim could care not one iota about our children, came from no other the big horse's mouth, Rabbi Matt Solomon.
"Even, sadly, when wrong things are done, we cannot stand by when a "broad brush" is used to smear those to whom we look for guidance and daas Torah". I can assure Matt that real Jews seek no guidance from fake and murderous rabonim such as you and others.
I may as well seek das torah advice from the likes of Ted Bundy and Michael Jackson. The end result will be the same.
Read about the disgusting Agudah Convention Circus which the despicable Yated Ne'eman Staff writes about. NOT ONCE, do any of the "Rabonim" see it fitting to address, discuss and speak out against the child abuse epidemic in our yeshiva's. The only thing they do is continuing to sweep the problems under the rug in the hopes we "Forget" about it. I have news for you the "Fake Rabonim". WE WILL NEVER FOEGET. WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP OUR FIGHT. WE WILL EXPOSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU DUSHBAGS WHO HIDE BEHIND THE TORAH. RABBI'S DO SIN. RABBI'S DID SIN. RABBIS' ARE SINNING. According to the speakers at this convention, we must always be dan lekaf zechus the rabbi's. If a Rabbi molested or was involved in its coverup, it must be because of a good reason. Afterall he is a Rabbi and we must give him the benefit of the doubt. We must'n investigate the charges of the victims, because the victims in this case are accusing RABBI's, and Rabbi's are not to be accused or subjected to an investigation to validate or un-validate the charges of their victims. How ludicrous. How ridiculous that these phony Rabbi's have the nerve to continue IGNORING the problems of child abuse. HOW inexcusable that these Rabbi's continue to excuse the perps. How shameful that they continue to blame the victims and everyone else, when they so eagerly jump to the rabbi's defense. HOW UNFORGIVABLE OF A CRIME THAT "GEDOILAI YISROEL" CONTINUE TO TWIST THE TORAH FOR THEIR BENEFIT. I NEED TO VOMIT, I CANNOT TAKE THE HYPOCRISY ANYMORE. The assembly of "gedoilai yisroel" just rambled and avoided real issues all night long. It was as if the only reason they were assembled there was to defend their good buddies, the killers of children. Ironically they claim to be the biggest defenders of children, while in actuality they are the biggest reason that we have BROKEN SOULS, ABUSED SOULS, KILLED SOULS, HURT SOULS, AND SOULS THAT ARE DESTROYED BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGINATION. These fake rabbi's are responsible for the murder of our children. They are responsible for the thousands of Jews they caused to go off the derech. Shame on you "Rabbi's". May hashem avenge the blood of his children amen.
(the information below by the phony yated ne'eman staff, should preferably be read in the bathroom where as you can flush it down the toilet when done).
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by Yated Ne'eman staff
Agudath Israel of America's 84th national convention
Thursday night's plenary session began with a moving audio- visual presentation dedicated to the devastating fire that Camp Agudah suffered this past summer, and the impressive efforts that, with Hashem's help, helped the camp recover in time to provide campers a truly memorable summer. Rabbi Meir Frischman, the camp director, provided a moving and inspiring chronicle of the events.
The session then turned to an issue both timely and timeless: the imperative to show honor and deference to Torah authority. Against a background of relentless assault on talmidei chachomim and even gedolim, in the street and in the media — and, as noted by the evening's chairman and convention co-chairman Rabbi Dovid Schnell, president of Agudath Israel of Illinois, through the new phenomenon of internet-based weblogs, or "blogs" — the evening symposia's three speakers presented much food for thought.
The session's title was "Torah Wisdom/Torah Authority: Are We Losing the Connection?" and its first speaker was Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman, rosh hayeshiva of Yeshiva Maor Yitzchok and rav of Congregation Ahavas Torah (Monsey).
Generations and Their Leaders
Rabbi Wachsman began by noting that attacks on daas Torah have been with us since the time of Moshe Rabbenu, and that present-day scoffers are but actors in the tradition of Korach, the Tziddukim and the Maskilim. He then offered a perceptive insight into the gemora's account of the experience of Choni Hame'agel, whom Chazal described as having slept for 70 years. Returning to a society that revered his memory and teachings but refused to believe he was who he was, he prayed for death, a request that was granted.
Could Choni, Rabbi Wachsman asked, not simply have proven himself with his Torah wisdom, or begun anew as a teacher of Torah? Here, Rabbi Wachsman contended, we have a most important lesson: Each generation needs to receive its mesorah from its own gedolim. Choni had much to teach to his own generation, and what he taught was passed on to future ones as well, to be sure. But it had to be passed on only through the leaders of each subsequent generation. Dor dor vedorshov.
Thus, Rabbi Wachsman explained, we cannot establish a mode of behavior based on the words of an early authority alone. We cannot look, for example, to the Rambam's words to guide us in how our society should ensure Torah-study, but at the words of Rav Aharon and other gedolim of recent generations and our own generation. That is how mesorah works, he said, and the gedolim of our time must be recognized as those most qualified to interpret, distill and apply Torah truths to the challenges we face today.
Whether the issue was the Bais Yaakov movement in the time of the Chofetz Chaim or Israel's drafting of women in the Chazon Ish's, "proofs" from the gemora and Rishonim proffered by lesser people were not germane; what mattered were the deep understandings, honed by tzidkus and years of intense Torah-study, of the true manhigei hador of each generation.
Those who seek to undermine the deference to Daas Torah demanded of us, said Rabbi Wachsman, are oblivious to the import of that ideal, and can only seek to attribute what they don't understand to "parallels" in larger society — inaccurately comparing, for example, the principle of daas Torah to the Catholic conception of papal infallibility (lehavdil), or chareidi rabbinic leaders to Islamic fundamentalists (lehavdil again).
These misguided individuals do not realize how unique the Jew's relationship to the manhigei hador truly is. To the scoffers, what is latest is by definition what is best; to a Godol, what is new must be scrutinized carefully.
Bringing It All Home
To be sure, Rabbi Wachsman continued, there are certainly issues and situations that need to be addressed by our gedolim. But to blame gedolim, who work so tirelessly and with such great personal sacrifice on behalf of Klal Yisroel and individual Jews, for even real and present communal problems, is something cruel and evil.
In the end, though, the Rosh Hayeshiva exhorted, what is important is not to speak about "them" but about "us." The world without, he explained, is a mirror of who we are. Do we ourselves listen to what the gedolim of our time say only when it is comfortable for us? Pointing to the example of the "simcha guidelines" issued by gedolei Yisroel four years ago, designed to tone down chasunos and related celebrations, the Rosh Hayeshiva asked: "Do we just talk about daas Torah, or live it?"
Rabbi Wachsman's message was clear: When our own deference to gedolim is real and strong, we will be spared the scoffing and worse of those who hate Torah and its exemplars.
Balderdash, Blogs and Bashing
The evening's second speaker was Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice-president for government and public affairs for Agudath Israel of America. He began by calling attention to the crassly negative tone of political advertisements evident during the period leading up to the recent elections, and presented it as a reflection of larger society's tolerance for what, to a Torah-hashkofoh-tuned mind, is nothing short of forbidden speech.
In American libel law, he explained, "truth is an absolute defense," whereas the prohibition against loshon hora concerns accurate information. And when it comes to public figures, even outright untruths are protected by American law, as long as "actual malice" cannot be proven. How "diametrically opposed," observed Rabbi Zwiebel, is the halachic attitude toward the slander of Torah leaders, which is considered an especially grievous sin. Indeed, he noted, halochoh requires that talmidei chachomim be judged favorably even in situations where other people may not be entitled to the benefit of the doubt.
The Agudath Israel leader went on to note how the societal acceptance of mockery and slander has infiltrated the Jewish world and how Torah scholars and leaders have become the targets of some whose anger and frustrations blind them from both seeing reality and recognizing what is acceptable and what is not.
Rabbi Zwiebel focused on two contemporary manifestations of the problem. One was an ostensibly Orthodox newspaper that demonstrates contempt for rabbonim and gedolim who dare to take a different approach to some political issues from the paper's own, and publishes letters to the editor that openly mock talmidei chachomim. The second was "blogs," and the Agudath Israel leader quoted from one comment left on one such virtual soapbox, which contended that "the best thing about blogging is the anonymity. You could be shaking a rosh yeshiva, rav or rebbe's hand by day and then bash him in the evening."
That, Rabbi Zwiebel contended, well captured the mindset and the evil to which the medium can be, and too often is, put to use.
Our Messages to Our Young
Like Rabbi Wachsman before him though, Rabbi Zwiebel exhorted his listeners to turn inward, and to think about how destructive a thoughtlessly denigrating comment to a child about his rebbe can be. "What message," he asked, "does that send to a child?"
Not only is such denigration indefensible, it is particularly outrageous regarding the dedicated mechanchim of our children, he continued, illustrating his characterization of rabbeim by reading a note his son received from his sixth grade rebbe in which the rebbe took great pains to correct a small error in something he had taught, and apologized to his talmidim for the mistake. "We are so fortunate," the Agudath Israel leader said, "that such people are being mechanech our children."
He went on to show how central the concept of daas Torah has always been to Agudath Israel, and recounted how happy Rabbi Moshe Sherer was when a Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah decision went against the expert advice of a lay panel of experts. "This," he quoted the late president of Agudath Israel of America as having explained at the time, "is why I came to Agudas Yisroel."
"Who would you rather have making such decisions?" Rabbi Sherer had explained. "You and I, or the gedolei Yisroel?"
Subservience to Authority
Citing Chazal's dictum, "Asei lecho rav — Establish a rabbinic authority for yourself," Rabbi Zwiebel declared that even those who do not look specifically to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah as the ultimate arbiter of daas Torah must nonetheless defer to their own rabbonim. Whatever latitude may be inherent in the "asei lecho" part of the equation, he averred, in no way undermines the ultimate subservience to rabbinic authority inherent in the "rav" part of the equation.
Such subservience requires one to accept the judgment of the rabbinic authority even if it is at variance with his own judgment, Rabbi Zwiebel said. As the Sifsei Chachomim explains on the Rashi in Parshas Shofetim quoting Chazal that one may not deviate from the ruling of the rabbinic judge, "even if he tells you that right is left and left is right," in such situations a Jew is obliged to assume that the mistake in judgment is his own.
Furthermore, even if the rabbinic authority should be mistaken, the Agudath Israel leader stated, it is incumbent upon the community to defer to his judgment — "and not that each person should do as he personally understands, because that will lead to `churban hadas', communal division and total national loss," in the words of the Sefer Hachinuch.
Two Very Different Visions
And so, the speaker concluded, we have two visions before us, "a vision of the people, by the people, for the people, a vision of free speech, freedom of the press, a vision of skepticism and cynicism, a vision designed to find flaws": and a second vision, that of recognizing that there is a hierarchy in Klal Yisroel, that we need the misnas'im al kehal Hashem, and that any attempt to knock them down is ma'aseh Korach."
Today, "more starkly and clearly than ever before," declared Rabbi Zwiebel, "which path we ultimately take will decide whether we will continue to thrive as a Torah community or, chas vesholom, face churban hadas. May it be Hashem's will," he concluded, in the words of the weekday post-krias haTorah tefilloh, "that He preserve among us the sages of Israel, they and their wives, their sons and their daughters, their disciples and the disciples of their disciples, in all their dwelling places, and let us say omein."
Demonstrating Deference
The evening's feature address was then delivered by the Mashgiach of Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon, who began by noting how the Haggodoh introduces the "four sons" with a reference to Hakodosh Boruch Hu's giving of the Torah to Klal Yisroel. The implicit lesson, the Mashgiach explained, is that only the Torah can provide the tools for knowing how precisely we are to interact with individuals, each of whom must be dealt with according to his own personality.
Rabbi Salomon then proceeded to note that the response the Haggodoh provides for the rosho's challenge is not the one the posuk assigns to the words of the rosho's question in the Torah. What is more, the Mashgiach pointed out, the Haggodoh's response to that son is not couched as an answer, or "amira," at all.
Many answer, Rabbi Salomon said, that the Baal Haggodoh is teaching us not what to answer the rosho, but rather how to react to the derision he voices, not to be impressed with his challenge, to respond by stating a fact that will set his teeth on edge. Thus, the Mashgiach explained, the scoffer, seeing our firmness and determination, may just be shaken, and perhaps brought to do teshuvoh. For we must remember that Klal Yisroel bowed in gratitude at the "besuras habonim" heralded by the rosho's question; bringing reshoim back into the fold, which we can do if we choose our responses correctly, is our ultimate hope.
That our answer to the tam is the same as to the rosho, Rabbi Salomon continued, may imply that we must provide him the answer to use should the rosho scoff to him. For we must strengthen all of our children, and give them the ammunition with which to fight back when their beliefs are attacked.
But, the Mashgiach stressed, echoing the other speakers of the evening, "we did not come here to criticize or attack others, but to strengthen ourselves," to ensure that the "insidious poison" not seep into our homes, to "immunize ourselves" against the plague of anger toward and mockery of talmidei chachomim and gedolei Yisroel.
One suggestion he offered for accomplishing that immunization was to be extremely careful that our Shabbos tables be filled with simcha shel mitzvah and words that bespeak ahavas talmidei chachomim, not, cholila, anything that might be construed as the opposite. "Let our children see whom we respect. Let us be more demonstrative of our deference to authority." Our children, he averred, have to feel that respect and deference, and they can only feel it if we do ourselves.
Rabbi Salomon took pains to declare that we have no complaint against anyone asking questions about our convictions, or even disagreeing — agreeably — with stances we have seen fit to take. But, he explained, when it is done with cynicism and derision, when vulgar language and sentiments are used to denigrate rabbonim, manhigim and talmidei chachomim, "we must rise to their defense."
Even, sadly, when wrong things are done, we cannot stand by when a "broad brush" is used to smear those to whom we look for guidance and daas Torah.
Contemporary scoffers, the Mashgiach pointed out, like to accuse the chareidi community of "sweeping things under the carpet." They are right, he explained, but not in the way they mean. "Do they know how many perpetrators" of sins against others "have been dealt with?" No, he explained, because when actions are taken against individuals who have proven themselves untrustworthy, we do not trumpet our actions. Even as we take what steps are necessary to help protect others, we also seek to protect human dignity. And when crimes are asserted but not proven, we are guided not by a mob mentality but by the Torah. That, the Mashgiach declared, is not cowardice but courage.
As the night's topic is so painful, Rabbi Salomon concluded, and as we cannot even know how many people are influenced by the unwarranted criticism and mockery of Torah-scholars so prevalent today, "it would be fitting to show our response" to the words spoken over the course of the evening "not by clapping" but rather "by standing up, and being mechabeid the gedolei Torah" of our times. That, he declared, is how we have to be mesakein the bizoyon. "We are soldiers. We are mekadshei Sheim Shomayim."
And with that, all in the large assemblage rose from their seats and joined the Lakewood Mashgiach in declaring their allegiance to Torah and its transmitters, loudly and clearly, "Atoh hor'eiso loda'as, ki Hashem Hu ho'Elokim, ein od milevado!"
End of the Report of the Thursday Session
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Once again, we meet and greet the frauds. The annual get-together of Jew meets Rabbi at the Agudah Convention, has left bitter tastes in our mouths for many of us. Not only did (Rabbi) Matt-Solomon rub salt into open wounds, but he also committed the ultimate sin of thou shall not LIE. Of course, "gedoilay Yisroel" LYING to us is nothing new, but it stings us over and over again nonetheless. Matt Solomon is well aware that the Kolko/Margulis crimes were exposed through anonymous and non-anonymous blogging over the internet. He is also well aware that were it not for the power of the internet, The Shlomo Mandel/Yehuda Nussbaum combo, may well still be intact today, in a position where they can continue to decieve the public. He is well aware that Yudi Kolko would still be playing touchy-feely with the boys it was his duty to protect. Matt is well aware that if it wern't for the power of blogging, Lippy Margulis would be free to save his buddy Kolko so he can continue to molest more boys.
Thanks to Hashem, Yehuda (shatnez Maven) Nussbaum is no longer working and molesting boys at Yeshiva Of Brooklyn. Shlomo (crockidile tears) Mandel is still "Rosh Hayeshiva" but his end is very near. He is a disgrace to every jew. Shlomo Mandel is one of those fake people who will smile to your face and stab you in the back the next minute.
How do we explain the fact that Shlomo Mandel knew about sexual and physical abuse to boys who were there for years without coming to their aid and defense?
The answer is, there is no viable explanation or excuse for this. Mandel just doesn't give a cow's or goats left ankle, weather students at his Yeshiva were abused, he just cares about how to COVER it UP, and SWEEP it UNDER the RUG.
At the Agudah Convention, Mat Solomon would have us believe that sweeping issues such as child abuse under the rug is the ONLY solution they know. It is prohibited to SAVE JEWISH NESHSAMAS. That is what Mat is telling us. That is what Shlomele is telling us. That is what the black hats are telling us. Should we believe these goons? How about we believe them for the sake of the TORAH they conveniently misinterpret? Let us believe Matt and Shlomele for the sake of not causing a chilul Hashem. The black Hats and frauds are constantly trying to pull the wool over our eyes as if we are IQ challenged. The would like us to believe that there is NO SUCH THING as Jews who act like non-jews, jews who behave like Michael Jackson, jews who molest little boys and girls, jews who murder, jews who lie, jews who NEVER sin, those are the type of nonsense remarks and ill advised sayings of our so called rabbininical leadership coming out of the runts such as Matt-Solomon and Shlomele Mandel.
I interviewd somone at the "esteemed" Lakewood BMG. What is the title of Matt-Solomon? Mashgiach Ruchni. Is Matt there everyday? No, he is hardly there. Don't you think a mashgiach should be readily available to his students? Yes, but he is too busy. He does not even have a minute to himself. What is he busy with? Helping and guiding people. Giving speeches etc. What is the point of matt being the mashgiach if he isn't even available to his students? We have other Rabonim who fill in for him. And Matt's house is only a few houses down from the yeshiva, so we can just walk there if we have a problem. If matt is in such a "helping" mood, why then does he not address the terrible crimes which occured and are still occuring in our yeshiva's today such as child molesting rabonim and the way leadership figures try to coverup their crimes? Well, I don't know why. I wish something was done about it. Are you aware that I am not a supporter of Matt-Solomon because he has contributed to the excuse making and rationilization of those who sexually, mentally, and physically abuse children?
No, but I am now. I can tell you that Matt Solomon really does care and he is very sincere. What if I told you that I have a tape recording of Matt chastising those who blog anonymosly as people who are uncredible and untruthful? Are you aware that KOLKO is not employed by YTT anymore because of anonymous blogging? Are you aware that Yehuda Nussbaum is no longer employed by YOB because of Anonymous and Un-Anonymous blogging? Yes, I am aware of that. Good. Do you have any siblings? Yes. What would you do if you found out your brother was being molested by his rebbe? I would be very upset. What if it wasn't your brother being molested, say it was a neighbor of yours? I would still be very upset but I don't think I can do anything about it if it wasn't my brother. Why not? I can only control what happens to my family, but other people is out of my hands. I don't understand, why? I'm not allowed to believe what I am not sure about. If it was my brother I can do something about it.
So what you are telling me is that your siblings you CARE about, but everyone else doesn't matter? No, i'm not saying that. I'm saying that I can only worry about those who are my flesh and blood, I cannot go worrying about everyone else.
Wow, that is a narrow outlook. Back to Matt Solomon. You said he doesn't have a minute to himself because he is too busy. Shouldn't a large majority of his day be spent trying to rectify the sexual abuse epidemic in the jewish communities? I think yes, it should be. He is a rabbi and that should be his thing to deal with.
Thank you for your time. Your welcome.
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'Dishonour' of sex abuse teacher
A judge branded a Bradford teacher as a "sexual predator" as he jailed him for molesting a young boy on a school trip.
Timothy Peter Leigh, 58, preyed on an eight-year-old boy in the middle of the night, Bradford Crown Court was told.
Leigh, a former deputy head teacher of Gilstead Middle School, went into the boy's dormitory with a torch and began to abuse him.
Other children on the trip to Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales described how he was watching them as they showered. He would also help them with their towels even when they did not need it.
Judge Roger Scott, spent almost 30 minutes reading glowing references from Leigh's friends one of whom described him as an "honourable gentleman".
But jailing him for 15 months yesterday, the judge told Leigh that he was a "dishonourable sexual offender".
The court was told that Leigh had been commended by the Chief Constable and Margaret Thatcher on behalf of the Queen for his bravery in the Bradford City fire of 1985.
He was also described by one friend as "an inspiration to generations".
Leigh, who was heavily involved in junior sports and was Bradford district secretary of the English Schools Football Association, will now have to sign on the sex offenders register for the next ten years and he was banned from ever working with children again.
Judge Scott told Leigh, despite his denials, that he had molested the child for his own sexual gratification.
Passing sentence he said: "You committed the most appalling breach of trust. Parents in the United Kingdom put teachers in the position of themselves to look after their children on events and visits and weekends away.
"They are entitled to expect that their child will come home from these exciting times unaffected by sexual predators and you are in my view a sexual predator who knew exactly what he was doing."
Prosecutor Simon Hickey told the court that the young victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, seemed down and sad after he returned from the trip.
Mr Hickey said that the youngster was not the same boy and had grown moody and now had to sleep in the same bedroom as his older brother.
Judge Scott told Leigh: "We have an eight-year-old boy who goes to sleep with the light on for some time, is frightened of sleeping on his own and is educated into the word paedophile'."
He also had to deal with being called a liar as Leigh continued to claim that the boy was making up the allegations.
When he was interviewed by police Leigh admitted that he had the torch and would check on the boys, but continued to deny doing anything wrong.
But at an earlier court hearing Leigh, of Moorland Avenue, Eldwick, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault. A third count against another boy was asked by Mr Hickey to lie on the file.
Leigh's barrister, Michael Collins, said Leigh was at a loss to explain why he had groped the boy and stressed that there had never been any similar allegations in the past. He told the court packed with Leigh's supporters that he was a man of extraordinary good character whose life was ruined by what he had done.
Mr Collins said: "He feels totally the humiliation occasioned by his own actions and looks to the future which is, given the full life he has enjoyed thus far, depressing and empty.
"He has lost all that he has worked for over his professional life and it's some little comfort that at least he has the very strong and wide supportive group of friends and family who maintain their high regard for him in spite of his guilty pleas."
The judge was told that Leigh was on the England Schools Football Association (ESFA) council and was involved with Bingley Juniors Football Club.
Mr Collins said that he had worked tirelessly and selflessly to help children all of his adult life and urged the judge not to send him to jail.
After the case a spokesman for the ESFA confirmed that Leigh had been suspended from his role as its Bradford district secretary since the police investigation started.
His conviction will now go before the Football Association's next equity commission meeting on December 13 when he is likely to be permanently barred, said the spokesman.
Bingley Junior Football Club has also terminated all its associations with Leigh, who had been involved with there for three decades and had served as its president and chairman.
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| 12/03/2006 |
| Editorial: Abuse by those in positions of trust sickening |
A member of Perverted Justice posing as a 13-year-old boy met Kaye in an online chat room in 2005 and Kaye solicited sex acts. When Kaye drove to what he thought was the boy’s home in Virginia, Kaye was confronted by a TV reporter and camera crew and admitted he was there for "not something good."
During the rabbi’s sentencing, prosecutors provided documentation that proved it wasn’t the first time Kaye had engaged in improper conduct with youths.
Kaye was a rabbi at a congregation in Potomac, Md., for 16 years and at the time of the sting was vice president of a Jewish youth organization called PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leaders and Values.
While any sex act with an underage person is legally and morally wrong, Kaye’s crime seems much worse because of his status in the religious community. After all, if a youngster can’t trust a person of the cloth, who can they trust?
On the same day Kaye was being put away, the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese, the nation’s largest, was settling 45 sex-abuse cases for a total of $60 million, according to the Associated Press.
It was the largest payout yet by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and among the biggest resulting from the molestation crisis that’s plagued the church.
The claims settled Friday involve 22 priests and include allegations from two periods when the archdiocese had limited or no insurance against sexual abuse claims -- prior to the mid-1950s and after 1987.
Friday’s settlement was the largest in California since 2004, when the Diocese of Orange agreed to spend $100 million to settle 90 abuse claims. It was also the fourth-largest in the nation since the clergy abuse crisis erupted in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2002, according to an Associated Press review of settlements.
According to AP, four dioceses -- Tucson, Ariz.; Spokane, Wash.; Portland, Ore., and Davenport, Iowa -- sought bankruptcy protection from a flood of lawsuits.
Delaware County has had its share of turmoil involving abusive clergy.
A grand jury convened by Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham in 2002 to investigate clerical sexual abuse released its report in September 2005, naming 63 priests who allegedly abused children as far back as the 1940s -- 43 of whom had connections with Delaware County.
A new law signed Wednesday by Gov. Ed Rendell will hopefully toughen penalties for pedophiles.
No matter how stiff the punishment, though, it can never equal the anguish the abuse victims must endure for the remainder of their lives.
And the fact the abuse came from people in positions of trust makes the crimes worse.
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| 12/02/2006 |
| DA: Infant was subject to sex abuse |
| JIM KINNEY , The Saratogian |
WILTON -- A 2½-year-old Saratoga Springs girl was subject to sexual abuse at the hands of her mother's boyfriend starting at one week of age, Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said. 'I was upset, hurt and mad,' the little girl's biological father said Friday afternoon. 'I just can't see how anybody can do this to a little child.'In his 18 years in the district attorney's office, Murphy said, this is the first case he's handled of an infant being abused in this way. 'This victim is completely helpless,' Murphy said. 'The birth father did the right thing in this instance.' Brian K. Staunches, 37, of 107 A. Old Gick Road in Wilton abused the girl in April 2004 while both were nude in a bed at Staunches' home, Murphy. Police are investigating the possibility that abuse continued until state police arrested Staunches was arrested Nov. 23. The victim's stepmother and biological father, who live in Moreau, are left asking why the girl's biological mother still has custody of the child. The biological father had temporary custody for five weeks this fall, but Saratoga County Family court ordered him to return his children to their mother before Staunches arrest. Staunches is now in Saratoga County jail on bail. Murphy said if Staunches gets out on bail, there is a court order keeping him away from the victim. 'What kind of person leaves someone with their child when they are a week old,' the stepmother said. 'What kind of person lets this happen?' The Father: 'You tell me she doesn't know anything?' The biological father said he's been fighting over custody of the victim and her brother, now 4 years old, with their mother who lives in Saratoga Springs. He said he was accused of sexual abuse this June, after taking the kids to a Moreau Lake State Park for Father's day. He said he's been cleared. 'I answered the investigator's questions before he was done asking them, no, no, no,' he said. He won temporary custody back in October. The stepmother said the little girl was visiting her biological father's home in October and appeared quiet. 'I just thought it was because it had been three months since she'd been here,' the stepmother said. After three days in the home, the little girl stopped playing with another child, turned to her father and said a man was touching her in her 'area.' 'She pointed to her private area,' the stepmother said. They took her to Glens Falls hospital where doctors found injuries consistent with sexual abuse, Murphy said. He said Saratoga County Child Protective Services investigated the case with the help of state troopers and Saratoga Springs police. They were able to proceed only because the little girl is now able to speak with investigators. 'We are going ahead with a totally evidence based case,' Murphy said. 'Obviously we can't put a 2½-year-old on the stand to testify at trial. That can't happen.' Staunches is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a felony punishable by up to seven years in state prison. Reach Jim Kinney at jkinney@saratogian.com or 518-583-8729 ext.216 |
'Samurai slay' teen defendant: I was sex abuse victim
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, November 30th, 2006
RIVERHEAD — A teenager accused of killing his stepfather with a samurai sword testified Thursday that he came home the morning of the slaying to find his mother covered in blood and his stepfather still alive — sitting up with a huge gash in his neck and the sword nearby.
Zachary Gibian, 19, who took the stand in his own defense, also testified that his stepfather, Scott Nager, had repeatedly forced him to perform a sex act on him — sometimes with a pistol held to his head, beginning when he was about 15.
“He’d laugh at me and tell me I had no rule over him,” Gibian said. “If I ever told on him he would kill me and my mother. He told me no one would believe me.” The teenager also said Nager forced him to read pornographic magazines, some portraying men having sex with children.
Defense lawyer William Keahon has said Gibian was abused for years by the 51-year-old stepfather, a retired New York City police officer, but that he did not commit the homicide, despite written and videotaped confessions.
On Thursday, Gibian did not overtly blame his mother for the death of his stepfather, but portrayed a scenario in which she was the sole person in the Hauppauge home on the morning of Feb. 27, 2005, when Nager was slain.
Laura Nager, through her attorney, has insisted she was not the killer. She has not been charged with any crime relating to the killing.
Gibian said after spending the night at a friend’s house, he came home about 11 a.m. to find the gruesome scene in his living room.
“I seen my stepfather sitting up with a big cut to his neck and side of his face,” Gibian testified in a cool, sober demeanor. He said he saw his mother sitting on a second couch in the living room, covered in blood and crying.
“I was shocked. I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
A defense question about what his mother said had happened was struck by state Supreme Court Justice Robert Doyle after prosecutors objected to possible hearsay testimony.
Gibian, who was repeatedly admonished to speak clearly by Doyle, said he told his mother to go upstairs and clean herself up, while he changed his clothes, putting the soiled laundry in a black garbage bag, along with the sword and other items. He then called a friend, Troy “T.J” Harrelson — the son of ex-New York Mets star Bud Harrelson — and asked him for a ride.
“I asked him to be a good friend and come to my house and pick me up,” Gibian said.
Earlier in the trial, Harrelson testified that Gibian appeared to be distraught and breathing hard when he arrived. Gibian was carrying the bag with the sword, his clothes, a knife and a cigarette lighter.
After Gibian asked if there was any blood on him, the pair drove to a nearby lake, hoping to throw the incriminating evidence into the water, but the lake was frozen, Harrelson said. They instead went to a strip mall and dumped the bag near trash bins.
Assistant District Attorney John Scott Prudenti has said Gibian gave an oral, written and videotaped confession in the hours after Nager was killed and told Laura Nager about what he planned to do.
“I couldn’t handle all the stuff piling up with him,” Gibian said in his written confession. “I told my mother that I was going to kill him. She asked me if I thought this was the right thing to do. I said that in my heart this is the right thing. This way there would be no more abuse and we could still live comfortably.”
“My mother went upstairs. I went into the garage and got a sword.”
Thu 30 Nov 2006
Pupils to get sex abuse warnings
CHILDREN as young as nine are to be taught how to protect themselves against sexual abuse and domestic violence.