She wasn’t like the other girls.
The yeshiva principal who forced an Orthodox Jewish pre-teen to continue seeing the Hasidic counselor prosecutors say sexually abused her testified that her clothes and behavior drew disapproval from the leadership of the insular Satmar sect.
“It was brought to my attention her behavior, her modesty, was not like the other girls,” Benzion Feuerwerger, a principal at the United Talmudical Academy in South Williamsburg, testified today in Brooklyn Supreme Court. “The principals were not happy and it came to the attention of the other rabbis, too.”
The school would have expelled the teen if she stopped going to prominent Hasidic leader Nechemya Weberman, 54, for counseling after her manner of dress — including her tights and the open top button of her shirt — drew reproach from the conservative Satmar sect, Feuerwerger testified.
Weberman allegedly sexually abused the girl during their counseling sessions over three years beginning when she was just 12 years old, prosecutors charge.
The recently married girl — who testified for four grueling days last week — turns 18 tomorrow.
“When we see a girl is not following the tradition, we try to work on it,” testified Feuerwerger, who answered, “Yes,” when asked if the goal of his school was to make sure the students followed “each and every role of Satmar.”
Feuerwerger, who is Weberman’s first cousin, drew incredulous laughter from several Orthodox spectators when he testified that the modesty squad — or Vaad Ha’Tnius — didn’t exist.
The alleged victim testified last week that part of the reason she was afraid to report Weberman was his Vaad Ha’Tnius membership.
The brave teen was so distraught when she reported the alleged abuse by Weberman that she fled the room, a social worker testified in the morning session.
“It took her awhile to get the words out. At the end of the session she uttered the words, ‘I was molested,’” said Sarah Fried, a social worker for a Jewish organization. “Then [she] ran out of the office.”
No comments:
Post a Comment