tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post1879058835836500932..comments2009-10-29T09:34:59.095-07:00exposemolestershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02097300261898413798noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-59651229402781208712009-10-29T09:34:59.095-07:002009-10-29T09:34:59.095-07:00A self-styled rabbi has arrived in Israel after being extradited from Brazil to stand trial on grotesque child abuse charges. Elior Noam Chen was arrested in Sao Paolo over a year ago - over allegations of poisoning and mutilating children in rituals.YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoJKfTG1JPM&feature=player_embeddednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-10837286993783569972009-10-28T17:53:15.068-07:002009-10-28T17:53:15.068-07:00Orthodox hope guilty plea in sex case changes approach to predators<br /><br />Orthodox community members hope an admission by one of their own to exposing two 14-year-old boys to alcohol and porn in an attempt to lure them into sex is a watershed moment that will change the way their culture deals with sexual predators.<br /><br />Already a convicted Megan&#39;s Law offender, Mitchell Levinton of Passaic Park told a judge in Paterson that he tried to pay the boys to give him oral sex after having them masturbate in front of him in 2006, while working for a kosher catering company.<br /><br />Vicki Polin, founder and CEO of the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault, told CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM this morning that she hopes the community continues &quot;to rely on law enforcement and child protective services when there is a case of suspicions of child abuse and or neglect&quot; by any member, instead of dealing with it privately.Mitchell Levintonhttp://www.examiner.com/x-2446-North-Jersey-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d28-Orthodox-hope-guilty-plea-in-sex-case-changes-approach-to-predators#noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-34758188561735213652009-10-28T17:27:27.995-07:002009-10-28T17:27:27.995-07:00Mr. Chen&#39;s lawyer is a genius. His strategy is to deny any abuse ever took place, very similar plan that I have, only with me it extends further, like bullying parents and threating alleged victims and sweeping as much shmootz under the rug as possible, say tehillim and hope it disappears like a magic trick. <br /><br /><i><b> According to the charge sheet, the members of the group held the younger boy, A, under a stream of water until he choked, burned his fingers with a cigarette lighter and would strip him, put him outside and poor hot and cold water over him. <br /><br />It said the older boy, N, then aged four, was put next to a heater until he was severely burned and his skin was starting to peel, and then poured alcohol and salt on the wounds. <br /><br />An investigation was opened after the boys were brought for medical treatment in March 2008. <br /><br />Mr Chen&#39;s lawyer Ariel Atari said on Wednesday that the incidents in question &quot;never happened&quot;, the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahranot reported. <br /><br />&quot;He will look at them during the probe, listen to them, and that&#39;s it. He will say whatever he has to say at court,&quot; he was quoted as saying. <br /><br />Last year, Mr Atari said his client denied any intent to injure children, and fled Israel because he did not trust its legal system, according to the Jerusalem Post. <br /><br />The trial of the four followers is continuing in Israel.</b></i>"Rabbi" Shloime" Mandelhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8330213.stmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-37889767897016376652009-10-28T17:14:29.883-07:002009-10-28T17:14:29.883-07:00Perv: I’m danger to kids Judge: You’re free to go<br /><br />A HIGH-risk sex offender yesterday walked free from court - despite admitting he is a danger to children. <br /><br />Warped Lee Chapman, 23, sexually assaulted a helpless schoolboy who had called at his home on an errand. <br /><br />And the pervert later told cops he is afraid to be left with kids, because of what he &quot;may do&quot;. <br /><br />But a judge refused to jail Chapman when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday - despite reports warning there was a significant risk of him re-offending. <br /><br />Instead, Lord Hodge ordered the pervert to have treatment, telling him: &quot;You need to undertake a programme to address your thoughts and behaviour.&quot; <br /><br />Chapman, of Aberdeen, earlier admitted an indecency charge against the lad, then aged 11-12, in an attack between November 2007 and November 2008. <br /><br />The fiend had faced another sex rap against a younger boy, but the Crown accepted his not-guilty plea. Defence counsel Frances McMenamin QC claimed Chapman&#39;s &quot;problems were not going to go away&quot; unless he got specialist help. <br /><br />Lord Hodge noted the offenders&#39;s &quot;significant learning difficulties&quot; and gave him three years&#39; probation for treatment. <br /><br />Chapman was put on the sex offenders&#39; register and ordered to do 100 hours&#39; community service.yona weinberg wishes he had this 'judge'http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/2702331/Pervert-Lee-Chapman-Im-danger-to-kids-Judge-Lord-Hodge-Youre-free-to-go.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-87256340828130350692009-10-28T09:36:00.585-07:002009-10-28T09:36:00.585-07:00&#39;Abusive rabbi&#39; transferred for investigation by J&#39;lem Police<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The &#39;abusive rabbi&#39;, Elior Chen, arrived at the Jerusalem Police headquarters in the Russian Compound and was immediately transferred for investigation.<br /><br /> <br />Chen landed in Israel Wednesday morning a year-and-a-half after feeling to Canada, and from there to Brazil. Chen is suspected of instructing his followers to severely abuse children. He was extradited to Israel from Brazil after an international warrant was issued for his arrest and the State Prosecution struck a special extradition deal between the two countries. (Efrat Weiss)Jerusalem Policenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-43779937551331056402009-10-28T09:34:07.764-07:002009-10-28T09:34:07.764-07:00Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is one of the people who looked the other way, swept under the rug, and left sexual abuse sufferers to hang by their throats. So for him to pen this is nothing short of a smack in the face.<br /><br />go to the link at-- http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/41207/chaimhttp://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/41207/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-465843688659134212009-10-28T09:22:01.570-07:002009-10-28T09:22:01.570-07:00Nursing home sued for alleged sex abuse<br /><br />http://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/local/default.asp?article=9E603CBA8F90641CC59D1C999B6C3318681AE0013370BD0A<br /><br />An Ottawa man has sued La Salle County Nursing Home on behalf of a female relative, whom he alleges was sexually abused by an unnamed, former resident June 5.<br />Henry Elzer filed the seven-count lawsuit Monday in La Salle County Circuit Court seeking at least $250,000 from the nursing home for allegedly failing to protect the woman. The victim, he said, suffered a fractured pelvic or pubic bone during the act, the lawsuit indicated.<br />The lawsuit also alleged the woman broke a leg when nursing home staff dropped her — or caused her to fall — some time between Nov. 24 and Nov. 27, 2006.<br />Elzer’s lawsuit also seeks another $100,000 from Ottawa Regional Hospital and Healthcare Center, in a secondary count not related to the alleged sexual abuse, for separate injuries the woman sustained on Nov. 27, 2006.<br />That day, he alleges, the woman was seated in an improperly secured wheelchair while traveling in a van, which braked and caused the wheelchair to tip. The operator of the van was described as an employee of Community Hospital of Ottawa (now Ottawa Regional) and/or La Salle County Nursing Home.<br />Morris attorney Mark Rigazio represents Elzer. Rigazio could not be reached for comment before press time today.<br />An Ottawa Regional spokeswoman declined comment. An attorney for La Salle County did not return a call seeking comment before press time today.<br />Summonses were issued Monday for the hospital and the nursing home; court records gave no indication of whether either party received a copy of the lawsuit.<br />Court dates are pending. The case is assigned to Chief Judge James A. Lanuti.yosef meystelhttp://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/local/default.asp?article=9E603CBA8F90641CC59D1C999B6C3318681AE0013370BD0Anoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-33796957359634598652009-10-27T23:10:52.860-07:002009-10-27T23:10:52.860-07:00When members of this group met with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in March 2006, the Jerusalem Post noted that the group insisted that the Iranian dictator only sought “a world free of Zionism, since this is nothing more than wishing for a better world dominated by peace and calm.” One would have to be naïve, indeed, to think that Rabbi Cohen actually believes, as stated in the quotation cited by Mr. Herr, that “firm but peaceful pressure” from the likes of Ahmadinejad would bring about the demise of the State of Israel.<br /><br />As for Cohen himself, he is a rabbi from Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. He spoke at the Holocaust Denial conference in Iran in 2006 that was sponsored by the Iranian foreign ministry. Although in the past he had denied that the Holocaust actually happened, Cohen changed his mind because, as he said, there were too many eyewitnesses to what happened to explain it away.<br /><br />Instead, he decided that the Jews who died in the Holocaust deserved it, because God wouldn’t have allowed such suffering to happen unless the people who were killed deserved to die. He has said that “the one who perpetrates the suffering is obviously guilty, but he will never succeed if the victim did not deserve it in one way or another.” That statement alone indicates how far out of the mainstream of humanity the rabbi has positioned himself.<br /><br />In 2006, after Cohen returned from the Holocaust conference in Iran, The Times of London quoted Rabbi Yehuda Brodie, registrar of the Jewish Ecclesiastical Court for Greater Manchester, on Rabbi Cohen because of his involvement with Ahmadinejad: “Rabbi Cohen has for a long time been ostracised by the vast majority of Jews for associating with and thus giving support and legitimacy to the enemies of Israel and the Jewish nation. He represents an insignificant minority. His involvement is a stab in the heart of the Jewish community and of all decent law-abiding people.” I think that this is too mild a rebuke in response to the rabbi’s truly evil pronouncements.<br /><br />Not all Jews support all of the policies of the Israeli government. However, almost all of us support the right of Israel to exist as an independent state, which the enemies of Israel deny. Rabbi Cohen’s extremism does nothing to advance the relations between Israelis and Palestinians or the current conditions under which each of them lives. Instead, it only confuses the real issues by inserting a purely one-sided religious point of view into what should be a reasonable solution to an exasperating political situation.<br /><br />Although I am a firm believer in free speech and open debate, the fact that the DN-R would print a quotation from such a contemptible individual is not surprising, but it is outrageous.<br /><br />Mr. Stein is president of Harrisonburg’s Beth El Congregation.Neturei Karta's Rabbi Cohen is obnoxious and evil part twohttp://www.dailynews-record.com/opinion_details.php?AID=41853&CHID=32noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-78680327192874298012009-10-27T23:09:04.771-07:002009-10-27T23:09:04.771-07:00These obnoxious Neturei Karta scum take extremism to a whole new level, one obtained through smokescreens and disguises. Reprehensible! <br /><br />--------------------------<br /><br />http://www.dailynews-record.com/opinion_details.php?AID=41853&amp;CHID=32<br /><br />Extreme Rabbi An Enemy Of Israel Posted 2009-10-26<br /><br />By Gary C. Stein<br /><br />YEARS AGO, I wrote in a book review that its author wrote “without fear and without research.” Such is also the case with Dennis Herr’s recent letter (“Indictment and Hope From Rabbi Cohen,” Oct. 10).<br /><br />What is obvious is that Herr has little knowledge of Judaism, even less of Orthodox Judaism, and hardly any at all about the specific rabbi he mentions, Ahron Cohen. As an Orthodox Jew, Cohen certainly does not speak for all, or even most, Jews. If Mr. Herr had done some research, he would realize that Rabbi Cohen doesn’t even speak for most Orthodox Jews.<br /><br />Rabbi Cohen is a leader and major spokesman for a fringe, ultra-Orthodox movement that calls itself Neturei Karta, literally “Guardians of the City,” but which the group loosely translates as “Guardians of the Faith” (see their Web site at www.nkusa.org/aboutus/index.cfm). The members of this group “refuse to recognize the right of anyone to establish a ‘Jewish’ state during the present period of exile,” until the coming of the true Messiah (and they are certainly not talking about Jesus).<br /><br />That is their primary belief — it used to be a more widely accepted Orthodox belief — and whatever they have to say in condemning Israel’s “policy of colonialism, ethnic cleansing and terrorism” is merely a smokescreen.Neturei Karta's Rabbi Cohen is obnoxious and evil part onehttp://www.dailynews-record.com/opinion_details.php?AID=41853&CHID=32noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-22607373240649216142009-10-27T22:27:59.982-07:002009-10-27T22:27:59.982-07:00Hey there everybody how you doing? Just popped in to comment on some you-tube video so appealing to my eyes. It has to do with this five year old boy. He makes my body have a sensation so warm and fuzzy. <br />__________________________<br /><br />Video: Five-year-old Romanian weightlifter becomes Internet staryudi kolkohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PndJi2Sia2wnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-24621554364492822052009-10-27T18:27:13.312-07:002009-10-27T18:27:13.312-07:00&#39;Religious law reason why school turned down boy&#39;<br /><br />(UKPA) – 10 hours ago<br /><br />A top London Jewish school accused of race discrimination has argued at the Supreme Court that a boy was refused admission because he was not a Jew according to the rules set by the Chief Rabbi.<br /><br />The boy&#39;s father is Jewish by birth, but his mother is Jewish by conversion conducted at a progressive synagogue which is not recognised by the Orthodox faith.<br /><br />JFS (formerly the Jews&#39; Free School) in Brent went to the highest court in the land after three judges at the Court of Appeal ruled in June this year that this entry criteria racially discriminated against the boy, referred to as M.<br /><br />David Pannick QC, representing the school, told a panel of nine Justices of the Supreme Court headed by Lord Phillips that this was a dispute about religious law.<br /><br />M would be regarded as Jewish by a Jewish school who applied criteria under Reform, Masorti or Liberal Judaism but not by Orthodox Jews. Lord Pannick said: &quot;The difference in the result is not on the ground of M&#39;s ethnic origins. It is on the ground of a religious dispute between Rabbis about who is a Jew.&quot;<br /><br />He said the appeal concerned whether or not the adoption of an oversubscription criteria giving priority to children recognised by the Chief Rabbi to be Jewish is racial discrimination contrary to the Race Relations Act.<br /><br />The mother of the boy converted to Judaism in a non-Orthodox procedure not recognised by the Chief Rabbi, said Lord Pannick.<br /><br />&quot;Our case is that the refusal of the place to M was not an act of race discrimination - that is less favourable treatment on the grounds of ethnic origin. We say M failed to secure a place at the school because and only because of the religious criteria applied by the Chief Rabbi as to who is Jewish.&quot;<br /><br />He said the school had adopted &quot;legitimate and proper&quot; criteria because a faith school was entitled to adopt a policy which gives priority to children who are members of the religious faith as defined by the religious authority of that faith.<br /><br />The appeal judges had misinterpreted the law in finding that the school&#39;s admission criteria discriminated on racial grounds, said Lord Pannick. He said the criteria applied to all children - many children with Jewish ethnic origins do not qualify and some children who lack ethnic origins are admitted. The hearing continues.tropper to the rescue?noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-59478944148936330092009-10-27T18:25:32.272-07:002009-10-27T18:25:32.272-07:00Belsky would do anything for money. Stuff some $$$ under the table and he&#39;ll fabricate some heter.<br /><br />Like the time he wanted to give a get to my wife without even trying to discourage her at the time. <br /><br />His eyes bulged, he named his price and was ready to proceed until cooler minds prevailed and saved the marriage.reuveinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-86144446100055353182009-10-27T18:17:13.766-07:002009-10-27T18:17:13.766-07:00Shlechter, <br /><br />You forgot about me. Nu.. where is my kovod? You saying i am not worthy? <br /><br />last i checked you and i were busy looking all shtaddy at the agudah function,shaking hands like any cult leaders would. <br /><br />Memeila, Elior Chen is exactly the type of rebbe i would hire to discipline our chutzpanyaks. <br /><br />I could even picture it.<br />Nussbaum 4th grade, Flagler 5th grade, Chen 6th grade??? No.. Maybe mashgiach???shlomo mandel, the putz from yobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-76964681041882366122009-10-27T18:02:16.328-07:002009-10-27T18:02:16.328-07:00There is only one cult leader on this planet, and that is Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, run by yours truly!<br /><br />Cult Leader Elior Chen on Way to Israel<br /><br />Reported: 17:59 PM - Oct/27/09<br />Follow Israel news briefs on and <br /><br />(IsraelNN.com) <br /><br />Israeli authorities have been informed by Brazil that they have cleared the way for the extradition to Israel of wanted alleged child abuser Elior Chen, who fled the country when an investigation was launched against him over charges that he ran a cult, posing as a &quot;rabbi&quot; who encouraged his followers to abuse their children.<br /><br />Chen may be on a plane back to Israel as soon as Tuesday night. He will be arrested by police upon his arrival, and transferred to a holding cell in Jerusalem, where he will be interviewed by prosecutors.Rabbi Aaron Shlechternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-3379343923944580252009-10-27T17:56:54.428-07:002009-10-27T17:56:54.428-07:00belsky requested our expertise and ordered <br />some handcuffing and bone breaking tips for us to employ against those who were moser on elior chen.belsky thugsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-49045272896469201182009-10-27T17:38:22.447-07:002009-10-27T17:38:22.447-07:00http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6439916/Israeli-orthodox-rabbis-ban-all-lift-travel-on-the-Sabbath.html<br />--------------------------<br /><br />a group of rabbis led by Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the 99-year-old leader of Israel&#39;s Lithuanian non-Hasidic ultra-orthodox Ashkenazi community, has ruled that even kosher lifts contravene Jewish law. <br /><br />The rabbis said they had reached their decision after holding consultations with &quot;certified lift technicians and engineers&quot;.Lipa Margulies lobbying for shabbos craneshttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6439916/Israeli-orthodox-rabbis-ban-all-lift-travel-on-the-Sabbath.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-772503715523777242009-10-27T15:49:32.659-07:002009-10-27T15:49:32.659-07:00It is sad to see Rabbonim who are actively involved and still running Yeshiva Neveh Zion today, continuing to live in denial more than 20 years after Rabbi Sobel sodomized young, innocent, and vulnerable children, by posting such ridiculous defenses to his despicable actions. &quot;Adam&quot; is a Neveh Rebbe who continues to defend all of his bad decision making over the past 30 years. When &quot;Adam&quot; will be big enough to admit that he and all the other Rabbanim care more about protecting their personal livlihoods than about destroying another Jewish person&#39;s life, maybe he will see fit to post an apology to all of Rabbi Sobel&#39;s victims who are forever haunted by his criminal behavior.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-53586266066073912182009-10-27T15:48:06.307-07:002009-10-27T15:48:06.307-07:00This is exactly what I have been trying to tell people - YES it DOES happen in this community! People seem to be in a fantasy land here in Broooklyn, NY - they seem to think (and say), &quot;a frum yid would never do that&quot; - but they need to wake up! Simply looking and acting frum on the outside does not make it so... That attitude is exactly why the pedophiles continue to do these heinous things - because others don&#39;t think it happens in the community - and it sure does! People need to be educated so that we can protect the children! (and the pedophiles need to be executed! - yes, you read that correctly - executed for their crimes against G-d and humanity!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-5834927499711787902009-10-26T09:02:02.806-07:002009-10-26T09:02:02.806-07:00At least the child molesters we employ don&#39;t have to worry about getting AIDS. We are pretty confident our boys and girls are AIDS-FREE.<br />-<br /><br />THE government has ordered an investigation after claims in a new documentary that 106 of the 366 pupils at a Bulawayo primary school had been sexually abused.<br /><br />At least 15 of the children have tested positive for HIV, film-maker Thandazani Nkomo said.<br /><br />Nkomo began making the documentary after he was “touched” by the plight of the children. He hoped the film would “prompt authorities into action”, he told The Standard.yeshiva of brooklynhttp://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-1232-Coltart%20orders%20school%20sex%20abuse%20probe/news.aspxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-78204442059314011442009-10-26T08:55:49.622-07:002009-10-26T08:55:49.622-07:00Victims of alleged sexual abuse gathered in Saginaw County to launch a series of prevention programs aimed at stopping future cases of abuse through churches, or other religious entities. The Group SNAP or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests met to encourage possible victims to report the crimes to authorities and help add to the list of registered sex offenders in the state. <br /><br />“Bay County just had the sweep (with) their police force and looked for all the sex offenders on the list and found that out of nine, five weren’t on the list. That’s because they moved. We’re trying to get the known sex offenders, the ones that are not on that list, on the list,” said Brad Sylvester, president of the Saginaw chapter of SNAP.SNAPhttp://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/story.aspx?id=367492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-35230943869553986592009-10-26T08:53:57.648-07:002009-10-26T08:53:57.648-07:00Sixty-year-old Archbishop Richard Burke, from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, was ordained a priest in the St Patrick’s Missionary Society, known as the Kiltegan Fathers, in Co Wicklow, in 1975. He was ordained a bishop in 1997, and installed as Archbishop of Benin, Nigeria, in March of last year.<br /><br />In a statement yesterday, the society said it had received a complaint last December from a 40-year-old woman against the archbishop. “She alleged that she was sexually abused as a child by Richard Burke. We expressed the deep sorrow and regret of the society for the suffering the complainant and her family are going through, and we affirmed the society’s commitment to child protection,” it added.<br /><br />“We assured her that the society’s child protection policy and procedures would be adhered to. The society offered to provide counselling for the complainant.”<br /><br />The statement pointed out that although Archbishop Burke was a member of the society, he had ceased to be under its jurisdiction when he became a bishop and was now under the direct jurisdiction of the Holy See.<br /><br />“However, he agreed to follow the society’s child protection procedures and voluntarily withdrew from ministry while the complaint is being investigated,” it added.Archbishop Richard Burkehttp://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1026/1224257458048.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-15343956989426422102009-10-25T14:31:32.930-07:002009-10-25T14:31:32.930-07:00Is that really the going rate these days? Jeffery Herman will not get a penny from us for his John Does&#39;.<br /><br />&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<br /><br />The Catholic Diocese of Belleville has paid $1.2 million to settle a 6-year-old &quot;John Doe&quot; lawsuit filed by a former altar boy who said he was molested by his parish priest.<br /><br /> <br /><br />The settlement, announced Thursday by the diocese, was confirmed by Belleville attorney Mike Weilmuenster, who said the money has been paid to his client. Negotiations were worked out last week.<br /><br /> <br /><br />It is the first time since the early 1990s when sexual abuse of minors by priests became a widespread public scandal in the Belleville Diocese that the diocese has paid money to a victim as part of a settlement.<br /><br /> <br /><br />The diocese&#39; statement said: &quot;On the occasion of this settlement, The Diocese of Belleville continues to express regret for any instance of sexual abuse of a minor by a member of its clergy. We remain steadfastly committed to our Child Protection Policy and will continue to assist victims and their families in furtherance of that policy.&quot;<br /><br /> <br /><br />The settlement dates from 2003 and was filed in connection and about the same time as a similar lawsuit filed by James Wisniewski of Champaign against the Rev. Raymond Kownacki, of Dupo, who was accused of sexually molesting Wisniewski for years.<br /><br /> <br /><br />The $1.2 million settlement also stems from a lawsuit naming Kownacki as the abuser.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Upon recommendation of a diocesan review board, Kownacki was banned more than a decade ago from performing priestly duties because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors. Wisniewski was awarded $5 million by a St. Clair County jury in August of last year. The diocese has appealed that award to the 5th District Appellate Court in Mount Vernon.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Kownacki has stated he will not comment.<br /><br /> <br /><br />&quot;This victim was simply the next in line of the Kownacki victims,&quot; Weilmuenster said. &quot;He&#39;s not a Johnny-come-lately. He&#39;s been there every step of the way for six years.&quot;<br /><br /> <br /><br />The attorney said he believes that &quot;widespread outrage&quot; following publicity from the Wisniewski trial may have spurred the diocese to settle this case. During that trial, unrefuted trial testimony and official church documents placed in evidence showed that church officials in the 1970s and 1980s knew that Kownacki had abused underage boys and girls but did nothing to protect the public.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Weilmuenster said his firm represents three other men, including two known only as &quot;John Doe,&quot; who have filed suit against the diocese alleging sexual abuse by a priest.<br /><br /> <br /><br />The John Doe awarded $1.2 million was an altar boy at St. Theresa&#39;s Parish in Salem about the same time as Wisniewski served as an altar boy, court records show. Like Wisniewski, he claimed in legal arguments that he was entitled to bring the court action despite the fact the normal statute of limitations had long passed. In the case of John Doe and Wisniewski, arguments were successful that the statute of limitations did not start tolling until the victims realized that they had been psychologically damaged by the abuse.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Attorneys for insurance companies representing the diocese &quot;supplied us with copies of policies a foot high,&quot; Weilmuenster said, but the attorney added that he could not learn how much of the settlement actually came from insurance.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Diocese spokesman David Spotanski could not be reached.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Weilmuenster said that while a recent Illinois Supreme Court decision concerning the statute of limitations virtually prohibits victims of sex abuse who were born before Jan. 1, 1964, from filing lawsuits who were born before Jan. 1, 1964, he said all victims should still come forward.<br /><br /> <br /><br />The diocese also has urged victims to come forward.<br />Contact reporter George Pawlaczyk at gpawlaczyk@bnd.com or 239-2625.Yeshiva Torah Temimahttp://www.bnd.com/372/story/977583.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-81681931141866676372009-10-25T13:07:34.706-07:002009-10-25T13:07:34.706-07:00Loshan Hara is forbidden.<br />Even if proof points to some<br />mistakes rabbonim made<br />in the past. <br /><br /> It is a great disappointment the <br />bashing of talmidei chachomim. <br /><br /> We must be don lekaf zechus. This means not to be blinded<br />by heretics.<br /><br /> Leave the pain of the past behind, and hashem will heal the hurt.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-76947952618206211012009-10-23T13:43:06.122-07:002009-10-23T13:43:06.122-07:00The Long Shadow of Scandal<br />Now and Then<br />By Jonathan D. SarnaAgudah Donkeyshttp://www.forward.com/articles/111455/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-28590278904669000422009-10-23T13:39:03.266-07:002009-10-23T13:39:03.266-07:00No one has addressed the problem of Government theft of taxpayer funds.<br /><br />The Orthodox Jewish community contributes millions of dolloars to the Government–Ciry, State, adn Federal. Much of this money is allocated to “education.”<br /><br />But the Government(s) then turn around and tell us Orthodox Jews that, while all children are equal in America, some are more equal than others–Jewish students are NOT entitled to the same funding as secular public school students.<br /><br />So, we Jewish parents must pay for “education” twice–once for the “public” schools, and again for our own schools.<br /><br />Our school administrators are starved for money to properly run their schools. Teachers are paid late; students are deprived of adequate services.–This is a national scandal!<br /><br />It was not always thus. Before Horace Mann started the secular wave of education in the Massachusets school system, in the late 1800’s, Government gave full aid and assistance to all religious schools. The “separation of church and state” is a very recent “constitutional” creation, by secularists whose goal it is to cripple and ultimately dismantle the religious school systems in this country.<br /><br />…And it’s working. The Catholic school system–this country’s largest parochial system–is closing schools, left and right.<br /><br />Without justifying the Rebbe’s activities, I think it is only fair to observe that the Rebbe used the money to fund his chool system, which is under enormous financial pressure, as are all parochioal school systems.<br /><br />The take-home lesson for us is that, if we want to avoid such problems in the future, we need to devote more of our community’s resources to adequately funding our intentionally-starved school systems.<br /><br />Saying Tehillim and giving lectures on morality are not enough!HILLELnoreply@blogger.com