A lot of people are taking a lesson from the Leiby Kletsky murder. A lesson that I agree with, I might add, just I don't see how it connects to this case. This lesson has been posted to blogs, twitter, Facebook, Google +, and probably has also been passed around by word of mouth as well.
The lesson being taken from the Kletsky murder is that cases of abuse and molestation must be reported to the police. No more reporting to groups of rabbonim or local "tzniyus patrols" or the like. No more sweeping things under the carpet, no more chasing perps or alleged perps to different cities, states, neighborhoods, no more protecting the rights of accused molesters while letting victims hang out to dry.
As stated, I agree with the lesson. I have gone on record many times here about the issue of reporting.
The only thing is that I don't see what this lesson has to do with the Kletsky murder.
As of right now at least, nobody is saying that the perp in this case, this Levi Aron, was ever previously accused of anything even remotely similar - no abuse, no molestation, no nothing. As of right now, nobody is accusing any rabbonim of sweeping a case away that ended up with Aron moving to another city or neighborhood and eventually committing this murder.
If this case had nothing to do with any rabbonim or tzniyus patrols or the community sending him away, how can that lesson be learned from this case. He did not commit this murder under the protection of rabbonim or anything else.
Again, while agree with the point of the lesson, I don't see what it has to do with this case.
Yes, if that should be discovered, if it should be discovered that he was protected, or investigated internally, that would be another story. As of right now, at this point in the story, that is not the case. If we are going to extrapolate lessons that have nothing to do with the story, there are probably all sorts of unconnected lessons we can pontificate about.
They are both sadists, and we are trying to protect our children from harm.
ReplyDelete"They are both sadists", Anonymous has declared.
ReplyDeleteJust who are "they", please?
I can understand our anonymous commentator describing the alleged killer, Levi Aron as a "sadist", but I am totally at a lost to determine who the other one is.
Perhaps the earlier writer can throw light on this, please?
Please read my response on my blog
ReplyDeleteWe currently have a case in chicago of a man supposedly arrested by the police after two young men reported him to the Abuse-Bais Din and to the police. The BD took their testimony, but before they could investigate and make a determination or give direction to the men and the community, the Rabbonim were supposedly called to the police station to corroborate the info given them by the young men. But all this is rumored to be true, and like any rumor, the fish has turned into a whale of a story. Yet the public remains in the dark, and our community is filled with loshen hora; none of us knows what is true. Living in this blackhole is just as bad as if the BD and the police did nothing at all.
ReplyDeleteRafi,
ReplyDeleteThere is a connection. When a community "allows" molestation and abuse to happen with a high tolerance for this behavior it becomes a safe haven for molesters.
People like Aron figured that in Boro Park he could get away with it.
We have to stop sacrificing our children for the "good name" of the Charedi/religious community.
It is well known that in communities where the rabbonim speak out against this (and take action) there is a lower rate of molestation and abuse.
Many pervs are afraid of getting caught.
They say this "person" who killed Leiby once tried to kidnap a child and the child's mother stopped him. The reason he was not reported was that he was a member of the kehilah and they did not want to get him into trouble.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet heard that, but if that is the case, and such is really discovered to have happened, then yes, I would agree that that lesson should be learned from this
ReplyDeleteTell me now, where can I go to find out what the nascent Sanhedrin ruling would be for Leibys' killer vs what the U.S. ruling will be? Any Rabbis interested in what would be the correct judgement on this case according to Hashems' opinion?
ReplyDeleteI was once at the Mercaz and saw many many people pass right by a small crying child (about 1 2/2 yrs old) walking alone and obviously lost, without taking any notice. I stopped and waited with the child in one spot until his parents came to find him.
ReplyDeleteAdults: Please look around you. If a safe adult does not notice a lost child in time, an unsafe adult will!