Nechemya Weberman charged with abusing 12 yr old girl

roza ↓

Fri, Sep 28 2012, 6:08 pm

This just came in:

What Went Terribly Wrong

Nechemia Weberman’s Trial on October 30th: Come to the Hearing – and Understand What Went Terribly Wrong

By: Rabbi Yakov Horowitz

Dear Readers: During these days leading up to Succos, our z’man simchaseinu, (time of collective joy), one might consider it inappropriate to write about topics that are far from joyous. However, having spent Rosh Hashana at an amazing and inspiring Madraigos retreat where there were more than a few abuse survivors in attendance, I feel compelled to release these lines at this time to fulfill a promise I made then to let the survivors among us know that they are not standing alone, and with the hope that it will result in safer practices among those in our community who are seeing help for their children. These lines are dedicated in memory of Yoni Polansky a“h (1994-2012).

Best wishes for a Gutten Shabbos and a Gutten Yom Tov.

Yakov

After many delays and much legal wrangling, Nechemia Weberman will finally stand trial in Brooklyn Criminal Court on October 30th for allegedly abusing a young girl in the Williamsburg community over a period of three years -- beginning when she was 12 years old.

Mr. Weberman is entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Having said that, quoting the Halachic terms employed in the Teshuva of Rav Elyashiv zt”l, there is clearly far more than “raglayim l’davar” (credible suspicion) in this case. In fact, all indications point to the inescapable conclusion that something is very, very wrong here.

What Parents Need to Know

One of the most important things frum parents – especially those in the “heimish” community – ought to be developing is a deep understanding of the norms and accepted practice in the mental health profession. Gaining this would allow devoted and caring parents the ability to obtain suitable professional help for their children who need it, and avoid the trauma associated with following the recommendations made by untrained, well-meaning folks (unfortunately, an all too frequent occurrence, one which sometimes creates horrific results).

Moreover, it would help undo the denial and cognitive dissonance of those who defend Weberman -- by pointing out how disturbing were the circumstances of his "treatment" of the young girls referred to him.

Don’t Ignore the Warning Signs

Think of it this way. Wouldn't alarm bells go off in your mind if a doctor performed an invasive procedure without using latex gloves or if he/she picked up a used syringe to give you an injection? Wouldn't you think it strange if you were a single mother and were requested to meet with your son’s Rebbe or principal at 9 p.m. one evening in a deserted Yeshiva building to discuss your son's progress?

What Went Wrong

Well, those of us familiar with the do's and don'ts of accepted practice in the mental health profession saw similar blaring warning lights in our minds, as should you when the facts were made public that Weberman:

1) Had unregulated access to many girls over a number of years in his inappropriate and illegal role as their unlicensed "therapist."

2) Had these young girls referred to him for counseling by very Chassidish schools, whose general level of gender separation far exceeds those of the typical "Bais Yakov" (and it would be exceedingly rare for non-Chassidish girls’ schools to regularly refer their Talmidos to a male therapist)

3) Engaged in private, unsupervised counseling sessions with young girls -- often in an office/apartment that contained a working bedroom -- violating all norms of Yichud and Tzniyus.

In addition to all these disturbing facts, it has become clear that these serious allegations are in fact not isolated ones. In fact, since Mr. Weberman's arrest, I was personally contacted by immediate family members of four additional alleged victims of his who are afraid to come forward, and those of us close to the community have heard similar reports from others as well.

All the victims – none of whom know each other and all of whom are terrified to go to the authorities because of fear of backlash from the community – report striking similarities in the MO of Weberman (his manner of working), fueling suspicion that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

What is most chilling is that each and every one of his victims who came to us is currently married; meaning that 1) this has been going on for a very long time, 2) if there are current victims who are single, they are even more terrified than the married women of coming forward, for fear that going public will ruin their chances of doing a decent shidduch.

Weberman’s case may very well be our community’s most important abuse trial during our lifetimes. It is imperative that we have a huge turnout in support of this courageous young lady who, may she be gezunt and ge’bentched, is determined to see this through to the end so others won't suffer like she did. Unbearable pressure is being brought to bear against her and her family to drop the case, which is one of the reasons that a show of support is so important.

Now That You Know

Those of us who work with abuse survivors respectfully implore you to please, please stand with this victim on October 30th, and with the other silent and silenced victims who are watching this case unfold very carefully, and with all survivors of abuse and molestation.

Please pass this on to your friends and family members and I hope to see you at the trial, heeding the timeless charge of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) (1:16) to “Seek justice [and] strengthen the victim.”

Yakov Horowitz

Director, Center for Jewish Family Life/Project YES www.kosherjewishparenting.com.

↑ roza

Fri, Sep 28 2012, 6:09 pm

Mevater ↓

Mon, Dec 14 2015, 8:05 am

Update: Panel Upholds Majority of relations Abuse Conviction

http://www.newyorklawjournal.c.....ction

Panel Upholds Majority of relations Abuse Conviction
Andrew Denney, New York Law Journal
December 11, 2015

A Brooklyn appeals court affirmed all but two of the 57 counts against a Hasidic counselor who was sentenced to 50 years in prison for s-xually abusing a girl repeatedly over three years, starting when she was 12.
Nechemya Weberman was convicted of first-degree course of s-xual conduct against a child, 12 counts of second-degree criminal s-xual act, two counts of third-degree criminal s-xual act, 18 counts of second-degree s-xual abuse, 25 counts of third-degree s-xual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.
On Wednesday, a panel of the Appellate Division, Second Department, modified Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Ingram's judgment in People v. Weberman, 1589/11, to dismiss two counts of second-degree s-xual abuse, writing that the evidence was insufficient to establish that Weberman was guilty of those counts.
But the panel wrote that, contrary to Weberman's contention, the state's Rape Shield Law did not deprive him of his constitutional right to present a defense that his role in the arrest of the victim's former boyfriend gave the victim a motive to fabricate the abuse allegations.
The panel also found that Ingram properly precluded Weberman from cross-examining the victim about prior accusations of s-xual abuse that were not reported to the police or reduced to formal charges. It concluded that Weberman's sentence, which was not reduced by the dismissal of the two counts, according to a spokesman for the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, was not excessive.
The panel consisted of Justices William Mastro, Thomas Dickerson, Sheri Roman and Robert Miller.
Assistant District Attorneys Leonard Joblove and Anthea Bruffee appeared for Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson's Office.
Weberman, 57, is serving his sentence in Shawangunk Correctional Facility. He was represented by Richard Mischel, a partner at Mischel & Horn.
Related Decisions:
People v. Nechemya Weberman, 1589/11

Fox

Mon, Dec 14 2015, 1:26 pm

kollel wife wrote:

What should we as parents learn from this?

I'm not going to re-state what's already been presented in the article by Rabbi Horowitz that is cited above nor any of the general advice that is widely available regarding how to help children recognize and articulate appropriate boundaries or how to help parents recognize a problem. It goes without saying that we must do everything possible to prevent abuse and respond appropriately when it is suspected.

However, I think frum communities, both insular and not-so-insular, are at specific risk because of one factor: the "everybody hechsher."

When a therapist, teacher, rabbi, tutor, or whatever, is enthusiastically recommended and used by "everybody" in a community, it can make people blind to problems -- little problems, like a tutor who is a poor fit for a child, and big problems, like abuse.

Predators work overtime at making people like them, respect them, and admire them. They may even do phenomenal work with those children they're not abusing. It's not surprising that the most prolific abusers are frequently people who are highly regarded for their work.

So as a frum parent, you have two jobs: you need to implement the standard protections, such as teaching and validating your children's sense of boundaries. But you also have the job of making sure that the recommendation and support of an individual by others in your community doesn't lead you to "check out" when it comes to questionable practices or behavior.

↑ Mevater

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 3:05 pm

The Satmar “Grand Rebbe” Zalman Teitelbaum paid a visit to convicted s-xual abuser Nechemya Weberman in prison last month, according to a Yiddish-language newspaper serving the Satmar Hasidic community that has published a series of favorable articles about the former therapist convicted of s-xually abusing an adolescent girl starting from when the victim was 12 years old.

The visit, and the weekly series of articles in Kiryas Joel Vochenshrift, have riled advocates for s-xual abuse victims in the Hasidic community. They say the community’s leadership has a pattern of downplaying abuse charges and in this case convictions, further traumatizing the victims.

A s-xual abuse survivor who lives in Kiryas Joel, the Orange County, New York seat of Zalman Teitelbaum’s Satmar faction, told the New York Jewish Week that abuse victims like her feel they are “being stabbed” when they see support for accused abusers in the Hasidic media and among their leaders.

“It’s retraumatizing victims,” said the survivor, who asked not to be named for reasons of privacy and safety. “It’s being stabbed every week, again and again, and knowing that if you’re ever going to open your mouth you’re going to be kicked out.”

https://www.jta.org/2022/12/15.....rison

My question is: Those who are frum and ehrlich Chassidim of R Zalman, are they ALL, at least publicly "drinking the Kool-Aid?

Is there no voice of dissent on this, among his Chassidim?

Would questioning R Zalman's visit, lead to an instant "youre out of the community, you lowlife"?