D.A. Hynes Keeps Pledge, Arrests 4 for Intimidation
The Brooklyn district attorney, facing a wave of public criticism about his handling of abuse allegations in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, on Thursday charged four men with attempting to silence an accuser by offering her and her boyfriend a $500,000 bribe, and threatening her boyfriend’s business.
The district attorney, Charles J. Hynes, alleged that the men were part of an effort to protect a prominent member of the Satmar Hasidic community, Nechemya Weberman, who has been accused of 88 counts of misconduct with a child younger than 13 years old. The charges all involve one girl, now 17, who was referred by her school to get counseling by Mr. Weberman, and then alleged she was abused by him during therapy sessions.
The charges are the first time in at least two decades that Mr. Hynes has charged Hasidic Jews with intimidation of a witness in an abuse case, even though victims, their advocates and prosecutors say intimidation has long been a major obstacle to prosecution of abuse among the ultra-Orthodox. In recent weeks, Mr. Hynes has been saying that the intimidation of witnesses in the ultra-Orthodox community is worse than in the world of organized crime.
“I’m hoping that this will be a message to those who are intimidated that they should come forward and help us,” Mr. Hynes said at a news conference. “No one can engage in this kind of conduct and feel free that, based on prior experience, nothing can happen to them.”
Prosecutors charged Abraham Rubin, 48, of Williamsburg with bribery, witness tampering and coercion. They said that he had been recorded offering the accuser’s boyfriend the money, and he suggested that the young couple could flee to Israel to avoid testifying. He also offered to provide them with a lawyer who could help them avoid cooperating with prosecutors.
Prosecutors also charged three brothers, Jacob, Joseph and Hertzka Berger, with coercion, saying they threatened and then removed the kosher certification of a restaurant run by the accuser’s boyfriend. The brothers are sons of a local rabbi who issues kosher certifications to stores.
The four men pleaded not guilty on Thursday in a Brooklyn courtroom packed with benches full of their supporters, dressed in the dark clothing worn by Hasidic men.
Hertzka Berger’s lawyer, Bruce Wenger, said after the arraignment that the four men “all deny the allegations.”
“They are all obviously going to be fighting these cases vehemently,” he said. “They are looking forward to their day in court.”
But a prosecutor, Josh Hanshaft, said the men had been “telling witnesses to forget what they know, not to come to court, to disappear,” and said prosecutors had “clear, substantial evidence” that part of the plan to silence witnesses involved offering money to dissuade their testimony.
If convicted, Mr. Rubin faces up to seven years in prison. Joseph and Hertzka Berger each face a year in jail, and Jacob Berger faces up to four years.
Mr. Weberman has denied the abuse allegations, and his lawyer, George Farkas, said Mr. Weberman knew nothing of the alleged intimidation.
“Mr. Weberman, and his attorneys, are appalled by these allegations, which if true, are reprehensible,” Mr. Farkas said. The intimidation charges, a moment of triumph for Mr. Hynes, come as his office has been criticized by victims, victims’ advocates, former Mayor Ed Koch and others for an insufficiently aggressive response to the abuse of minors within the ultra-Orthodox community.
AZ
Put these rodfim away for a looooooong time.
Eri Brondsfeldt
This is not good, not good at all. This could open up a pandora’s box in Boro Park big time. The shvaineray and the trickery going on there daily by rabbonim, laymen, chassidic people – has been going on since the dawn of New York… let things be the way they are, there’s nothing you can do about it. Everyone has to let it be. As long as no one got hurt physically, let it be.
wish
I have a few questions:
as for: 88 counts of misconduct with a child younger than 13 years old. The charges all involve one girl, now 17, who was referred by her school to get counseling by Mr. Weberman, and then alleged she was abused by him during therapy sessions.
I want to know how sick and evil someone can be to do this to a child.
I want to know how sick people are to cover up for this man.
I want to know what they would do IF IT HAD HAPPENED TO THEIR OWN CHILD OR THEIR OWN LOVED ONE.
I want to know how a chassidish man was seeing a girl for therapy. In their circles, they don’t even look at the opposite gender even when making change for buying onions.
I have alot more questions too.
Next, I just wish I could tell the world, that this is not what Jews are really like. Just like there are lost people in every group, we Jews also have our sick souls.
HaShem Yishmor. How ugly and pathetic.
Oh another question: does this abuser have a real license? If so, I really hope and assume that it will be revoked.
NEXT:
SEVEN years max is NOT ENOUGH FOR THIS ROTZEACH.
Put him in the same jail cell as the monster who killed that precious Leiby a”h.
This is horrific. We survived the Shoah for us to end up killing our own beautiful children b’goshmius u b’ruchnius???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
DL
at the same time he is letting 4 african americans who raped a crown heights girl (even if it was not a rape she was underage and that is a crime) out of jail
he goes after the wrong people and lets the bad people walk, i dont really blame him since everyone is screaming at him from all sides, but he needs to get control
menachem
All this is just a distraction from taking down the real criminals in brooklyn
about time someone be made an example of
if the charges are true, these people should be punished…. Of course innocent until proven guilty….
yes
disgusting pigs
Amazed by Gd
Best I can tell, it is way too little, way too late. The plagues of Gd will destroy America and Israel.
Fasten your seatbelts life is going to become a living hell in America.
Shalom
To Eri Brondsfeldt ???!!!
I’m amazed at your comment – First of all, how did you decide that when a grown man is accused of abusing a young girl, that “no one was hurt physically” ? If the charges are true, her wounds are surely not solely physical but way beyond. And as for your “let it be” attitude towards crime committed by so-called frum people, maybe one of the reasons Moshiach isn’t here yet is precisly because of the corruption & criminality not only in Boro Park but also much closer to home.
DeClasse- Intellectual
#2 you are out of your mind–Let it be–just look what has and still occurrs to our neighbor in Rome. Do you want this in Orthdox community? One the NEW YORK TIMES reported the story all bets and restrains were off? From whjat is indicated, epect a mirror of what occurred to those in Rome.
And there has to be still some measure to control the situation as well as to turn over to the law those who violated. My suggestion that once the Rabbi is contacted he has a resource of neutral professionals in the abuse field to cotact and to examine and to reccomend with the authority to call the police.
It might not be the answer but it is something to consider.
DeClasse- Intellectual
#5– since when is child abuse not criminal, oh I know when it applies on to Orthodox Jews
My Gd is an Awesome Gd
Awww, why get so excited over something so unimportant as abuse, Gd will be more than happy to take care of it for you!
qst
#12
we hear your point, however, G-d gave us children, and we are supposed to be responsible for them.
Good point?
lets think of it as being our own children and see how we would deal with it.
yes to#12
i hope your being sarcastic because if not your a sick sick human being and dont deserve to breath oxygen.
DaasTorah
It’s time to rid the community of these sort of men. They bring us dishonor and harm our children!
Realist
This is disguisting and I hope that those men burn in the pits of hell. When someone abuses another person in the jewish community or any community you are not supposed to cover it up. I hope that more people come out and speak about this terrible wrong of people trying to not involve the “Goyim” in our matters.
Why not Reverse Intimidation?
If these sharks resort to intimidation, what’s to stop victim supporters from getting together as a strong force and do the same? You know, inmates in prison, despite the crimes they committed, have no use for molesters or the like. Is the mafia any much different?
Anon
16.
If it weren’t for Goyim, would these guys end up in jail? No. This is the problem with the passive-aggressiveness of the Orthodox community, a lot of talking, posturing (without speaking up) and not much doing. Just like #2, throwing up your hands and sweeping problems under the rug with money.
“trying not to involve the ‘Jews’ in our matters.”
How does that sound? Not good, right? Watch your language.
Read the news. Nobody should be ashamed about matters coming to light because these things happen around the world to every community. It is only with transparency and honesty that they can be taken care of and less people will be victimized.
Jewish dude
Frumme yidden are not allowed to help build a case against fellow Jews. Whe must stay quiet and not help goy. To help goy is lashon hora.
yarmush
They are criminal these Jews it is just like killing another person don’t you people understand!
DeClasse- Intellectual
Hey jewish Dude!!! So if you know that your Jewish neighbor is a criminal and commits crimes, do you keep silent–How many HasVashalolem Libby Kletzky’s will there haave to be before the community wakes up or will they protect that monster as well because as you say is Frumme Yidden are not allowed to help build a case against fellow Jews et ct etc
Anon
19.
Jews should not be committing crimes. How does Hashem feel about those who do?
To #2
Are you for real? No physical harm done? You are living in full denial. You make no sense! Check your head and heart!
Frumme Yidden-
Okay, so frumme Yidden are not allowed to help build a case against Yidden. So that means that these creeps get to continue abusing and ruining the life of another? So why don’t the others of the group do something to put a stop to this horrible situation? SOMEONE has to do something, otherwise you are saying that it’s o.k. to do this. SOMETHING has to be done. Who will step up and be a mench? Who will step up and show the poor victims that others in their community care more for them than the creepy abusers? Come on, be the mench!
#2....
Let it be? Let it be? Isn’t that what so many people said about Nazi Germany? When crimes are committed, they must not have a status of “let it be.” And do not say that Nazi Germany has nothing to do with this situation. In both situations Jews were tortured, harmed, etc. No, it’s not to the lengths that the Holocaust experienced, but the crime exists, and the victims suffer for the rest of their lives. They are CHILDREN! Do you not have the decency to protect your children when their lives are so horribly affected? You are protecting predators instead of children? What is that? That is sick. So Pandora’s box is opened. Again, where are the priorities? Whom do you love, the children or the ones that keep Pandora’s box shut? The children need you to take their side, no matter what. Think about it.