Bloomberg Attacks DA Hynes' Double Standard
Bloomberg Among Critics of Prosecutor in Brooklyn(NYT) Bloomberg on Friday sharply criticized the Brooklyn district attorney, Charles J. Hynes, over his handling of child sexual abuse cases among the borough’s large ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. * Who Speaks for the Children?(NYT Ed) Religious leaders in Brooklyn’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities must ensure that molesters are brought to justice.
Charles Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney, follows different rules when dealing with abuse cases involving the ultra Orthodox Jewish community, like keeping the names of convicts secret. For Ultra-Orthodox in Abuse Cases, Prosecutor Has Different Rules(NYT) * Pressure mounts on Brooklyn DA over Orthodox sex abuse cases (The Guardian) Victims' families urge Charles Hynes to release identities of Orthodox sex abusers and allay community fears. Brooklyn district attorney Charles Hynes is under mounting pressure to respond to criticisms over his handling of child sex abuse in the ultra-Orthodox community. Victims advocates and bloggers lined up on Thursday to demand that Hynes reverse his policy of special treatment for abusers in the largest Orthodox population outside Israel. Ultra-Orthodox Shun Their Own for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse(NYT) * Mr. Zimmer’s lawyer was Asher White, who is married to Henna White, Mr. Hynes’s longtime liaison to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Ms. White, an adherent of the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic movement, makes $138,000 a year, more than most of Mr. Hynes’s prosecutors.” * In its ongoing series on sexual abuse in ultra-Orthodox communities, The Times takes a look at how Brooklyn DA Joe Hynes has mostly deferred to rabbinical authorities on the matter. * For Haredi Abuse Cases, Prosecutor Has Different Rules (FailedMessiah.com)
Koch Disagrees With Hynes
Koch, who is Jewish, said Hynes should prosecute the rabbis who interfered with victims reporting accusations of abuse. "We're all equal under the law and they have to subscribe to the law without getting preferential treatment," Koch said. "It's just dead wrong. And there's no explanation to make it right in any way." *'Joe Hynes has to live in the real world and he has to live in the world that they're(Capital)
Michael Powell Fidler the Hypocrite Defends Hynes and Funds Child Abuse Prevent Programs
From True News
Pressure mounts on Brooklyn DA over Orthodox sex abuse cases (The guardian)
Victims' families urge Charles Hynes to release identities of Orthodox sex abusers and allay community fears
Brooklyn district attorney Charles Hynes is under mounting pressure to respond to criticisms over his handling of child sex abuse in the ultra-Orthodox community.
Victims advocates and bloggers lined up on Thursday to demand that Hynes reverse his policy of special treatment for abusers in the largest Orthodox population outside Israel.
The Guardian reported in March that Hynes stands accused of failing to stand up to community leaders to tackle a culture of cover-up and intimidation that has gone on for years.
The DA refuses to release the identities of the "over 90" Orthodox child molesters he claims to have arrested through his controversial Kol Tzedek outreach programme, citing the "unique nature" of the Orthodox community. Hynes's office said it was protecting the identity of the victims.
Requests under New York's freedom of information law submitted by the Jewish Forward newspaper and the Guardian have been turned down by the DA's office.
On Thursday, the New York Times reported on the community intimidation levelled against victims of abuse and the pressures they come under to pull out of prosecutions. Its story adds to the growing media attention on the issue.
Brooklyn assemblyman Dov Hikind, who has campaigned on this issue, said it was time that Hynes responded to his critics. "He needs to answer our questions."
"The DA has done some very good stuff. There is absolutely no reason why he should not be talking to all of us and answering everyone's questions, unless there's something to hide or there's something he feels uncomfortable with. If one has absolutely nothing to hide, you talk, you share."
"I think it's important to talk to the public that elected him."
Hikind said he couldn't understand why Hynes refused to release the names of perpetrators.
"When the DA says he's not releasing names because he wants to protect the victims – that confuses me very, very much. What about future victims? If my next-door neighbour is a perpetrator and I don't know about it, how are my kids being protected?
"If there is legitimate reason in some situation not to release certain information, I think we can live with it. But as a general policy, I don't understand it."
"Stop looking at your votes, stop looking at your next election. Do your job. Don't sell kids' lives for your next term."
Last month, the Guardian reported questions over the veracity of the DA's figures for arrests through Kol Tzedek. At least nine of the alleged 90 arrests took place before the start of the outreach effort in April 2009.
Shmarya Rosenberg, who blogs as Failed Messiah, said the DA was obliged to stand up and explain himself.
"What he's said so far makes no logical sense. The fact he padded the numbers so heavily and misrepresented which cases were Kol Tzedek cases and which weren't to make it seem really successful when it isn't … You would think he would want to answer that. The fact that he hasn't suggests that there isn't an answer."
Mark Meyer Appel, whose group voice of Justice gives support to victims and their families called for the DA to dismantle Kol Tzedek. The culturally sensitive approach to Orthodox victims was well intentioned, he said, "but it's obviously not working."
Hynes should be taking a tougher stand, Appel said. There should be more community outreach, more education in the community and victims should be given proper support. Advocates claim victims are frequently discouraged from pressing charges.
"The Orthodox Jewish community is like any other community. Fathers and mothers of all religions and races should be treated equally by the law. That's all we want. We want fairness."
Jerry Schmetterer, the DA's spokesperson, declined to comment on the latest demands for information.
Victims' families urge Charles Hynes to release identities of Orthodox sex abusers and allay community fears
Victims advocates and bloggers lined up on Thursday to demand that Hynes reverse his policy of special treatment for abusers in the largest Orthodox population outside Israel.
The Guardian reported in March that Hynes stands accused of failing to stand up to community leaders to tackle a culture of cover-up and intimidation that has gone on for years.
The DA refuses to release the identities of the "over 90" Orthodox child molesters he claims to have arrested through his controversial Kol Tzedek outreach programme, citing the "unique nature" of the Orthodox community. Hynes's office said it was protecting the identity of the victims.
Requests under New York's freedom of information law submitted by the Jewish Forward newspaper and the Guardian have been turned down by the DA's office.
On Thursday, the New York Times reported on the community intimidation levelled against victims of abuse and the pressures they come under to pull out of prosecutions. Its story adds to the growing media attention on the issue.
Brooklyn assemblyman Dov Hikind, who has campaigned on this issue, said it was time that Hynes responded to his critics. "He needs to answer our questions."
"The DA has done some very good stuff. There is absolutely no reason why he should not be talking to all of us and answering everyone's questions, unless there's something to hide or there's something he feels uncomfortable with. If one has absolutely nothing to hide, you talk, you share."
"I think it's important to talk to the public that elected him."
Hikind said he couldn't understand why Hynes refused to release the names of perpetrators.
"When the DA says he's not releasing names because he wants to protect the victims – that confuses me very, very much. What about future victims? If my next-door neighbour is a perpetrator and I don't know about it, how are my kids being protected?
"If there is legitimate reason in some situation not to release certain information, I think we can live with it. But as a general policy, I don't understand it."
"Stop looking at your votes, stop looking at your next election. Do your job. Don't sell kids' lives for your next term."
Last month, the Guardian reported questions over the veracity of the DA's figures for arrests through Kol Tzedek. At least nine of the alleged 90 arrests took place before the start of the outreach effort in April 2009.
Shmarya Rosenberg, who blogs as Failed Messiah, said the DA was obliged to stand up and explain himself.
"What he's said so far makes no logical sense. The fact he padded the numbers so heavily and misrepresented which cases were Kol Tzedek cases and which weren't to make it seem really successful when it isn't … You would think he would want to answer that. The fact that he hasn't suggests that there isn't an answer."
Hynes should be taking a tougher stand, Appel said. There should be more community outreach, more education in the community and victims should be given proper support. Advocates claim victims are frequently discouraged from pressing charges.
"The Orthodox Jewish community is like any other community. Fathers and mothers of all religions and races should be treated equally by the law. That's all we want. We want fairness."
Jerry Schmetterer, the DA's spokesperson, declined to comment on the latest demands for information.
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