VICTIMS of child sexual abuse in
Melbourne's Jewish community are being ordered by religious leaders not
to report incidents to police. Jewish community insiders say Melbourne's ultra-Orthodox Chabad community has banded together to cover up cases of sexual abuse.
Sources have also accused Jewish leaders of intimidating victims, their families and supporters and threatening to expel them from the tight-knit community.
One of the global Chabad community's most senior figures has categorically warned at least one victim he could not report allegations of abuse to police, the Herald Sun has confirmed.
The senior rabbi, who was a leader in education for several decades within the Australian Chabad movement, said doing so would ruin the alleged perpetrator's life and would amount to "grave sin" under Jewish law.
The victim said he had raised the allegations with the rabbi at the time but said nothing was done.
In material obtained by the Herald Sun the rabbi admitted to knowing of allegations of abuse by the perpetrator but said he was powerless to do anything.
During a conversation with the victim the rabbi allegedly told him reporting the abuse now would do nothing but destroy the life of the alleged sexual perpetrator and his children.
"In cases like this, that are such a long time ago ... the proper approach is to let him go," he said.
Other shocking suggestions made by the rabbi included:
* TELLING the victim he had invited the abuse because he wasn't religious enough
* SAYING children as young as five were abused because they were obsessed with sex, including with animals
* ADMITTING he knew about allegations of abuse by the alleged perpetrator several years before the victim was allegedly abused.
The rabbi allegedly said he had raised the claims with the alleged perpetrator and had told him to stop but did not report the allegations to police.
It is understood the alleged perpetrator continued to offend for several years before ultimately relocating overseas.
In defending his decision not to report the alleged assaults to authorities the rabbi said he believed the attacks were consensual.
"We are talking about very young boys and everyone is saying they agreed to this," he said. "If you are going to do something to them at a certain stage in their life, you are destroying their life, you are destroying their whole life and their children, and therefore this is something that is ridiculous, like mechalel shabbos (desecrating the sabbath) or serving idols."
Jewish sources said being "mechalel shabbos" or "serving idols" was a grave sin under Jewish Law - something a religious person would never consider doing.
Prominent Jewish school Yeshiva College, in East St Kilda, has been embroiled in controversy since allegations it covered up sex-offences against students surfaced last year.
Child sexual abuse campaigner and Jewish community leader Manny Waks said it was common knowledge that many leaders and community members were aware of the abuse and either simply turned a blind eye or relocated the paedophile.
"The Yeshivah leadership has excelled in double-speak. They inform the public that they are co-operating fully with the relevant authorities, yet in private they are engaged in the most vile and irreligious acts," he said.