Published: 8 March 2021
Last updated: 4 March 2024
OUR CONCLUSIONS can be summarised as follows:
Professionals working with closed communities or with distinct cultural systems need to acquire sufficient knowledge and training, and to be aware of community members’ unique cultural and spiritual needs.
In the State of Israel, many changes to the intervention process have been made in recent years, from which it's possible to further learn and develop. For example, many welfare bureaus that operate in ultra-Orthodox areas have a rabbi or a team of rabbis who work with the welfare professionals to mediate decisions and to help practitioners understand certain situations in order to provide culturally-adapted interventions.
The Leifer case highlights the urgent need for prevention programs to raise the awareness of leading authority figures in the ultra-Orthodox community, and encourage supervision and protection of children from future harm.
The issue of sexual abuse by female perpetrators is significant and in need of greater public awareness. According to our findings, the fact that Leifer was a woman made it difficult for the public to believe the complainants.
FULL STORY Addressing child sexual abuse inside Australian Jewish organisations (Lens/Monash University)
