Reply To: Reporting Abusers

A common theme in this thread is the blaming of communities or those in positions of authority for abuse. It should be noted that whilst we should all strive to protect children, or indeed those of any age, from abusers, the ones who who are to blame are those who carry out the crime. It should be clear that whilst we are all responsible to help, only the abuser is actually to blame. I say this because I have noticed that many who have a personal gripe against the kehilla or against those in positions of authority, use instances of abuse as a vehicle to air their supposed grievances, and often get undue attention and approbation by doing so.

It should be made clear that whilst it is certainly an issue, and there are those who wrongly kept silent, or failed to act sufficiently, it is not a conspiracy, it is the actions of a diseased, cunning, handful. And allowing those both within and without of our communities to use these isolated cases as a weapon damages our keilla as a whole.