Time The 2012 trial of Nechemya Weberman captivated New Yorkers: the
prominent and respected counselor of the Satmar Hasidim sect stood
accused of sexually abusing a young girl entrusted in his care.
Incredibly, the youthful victim—who was 12 at the start of her four-year
ordeal—and her family were ridiculed and defamed by many in this
intensely insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, nestled in a Brooklyn
neighborhood famous for its hipster clubs and cafes.
In her new Kindle ebook The Devil of Williamsburg, which goes on sale today,
writer-editor Allison Yarrow offers a compelling account of a crime
that horrified a city and forced a devout group of believers to confront
some unpleasant truths. It is a piece of long-form investigative
journalism—based on reporting, interviews, and courtroom testimony—that
has as its narrative spine the story of two women: the young (and now
married) victim and Weberman’s wife, who even now professes her
husband’s innocence.
In the excerpt below, Yarrow likens the abuse suffered by the girl
(called Rayna in the book, but whose real identity has been sealed by
the court) to that of a victim of incest. [...]
There are multiple shades and layers in an abusive relationship between a predator and a child victim, says Lipner, who not only treats them, but was once one himself. He says some victims, especially boys, find physical pleasure in sexual encounters with their abuser, which is more distressing and confusing than abuse suffered alone. Despite complex feelings, “children have no mature capacity to consent to sex with adults, even if they like the adult, the attention, or the sexual touch,” Lipner stresses.[...]
None of this nuance would do the prosecution any good in court, where narratives are delivered to juries in stark black and white. But it is a painful contradiction for victims. Rayna will forever wrestle with the shards of her relationship with Weberman.
In the meantime, Weberman’s legal team hopes to use the textbook confusion of the victim‐abuser relationship to Weberman’s advantage in their appeal.
There are multiple shades and layers in an abusive relationship between a predator and a child victim, says Lipner, who not only treats them, but was once one himself. He says some victims, especially boys, find physical pleasure in sexual encounters with their abuser, which is more distressing and confusing than abuse suffered alone. Despite complex feelings, “children have no mature capacity to consent to sex with adults, even if they like the adult, the attention, or the sexual touch,” Lipner stresses.[...]
None of this nuance would do the prosecution any good in court, where narratives are delivered to juries in stark black and white. But it is a painful contradiction for victims. Rayna will forever wrestle with the shards of her relationship with Weberman.
In the meantime, Weberman’s legal team hopes to use the textbook confusion of the victim‐abuser relationship to Weberman’s advantage in their appeal.
I think Time Magazine got it wrong when they wrote, "In the meantime, Weberman’s legal team hopes to use the textbook confusion of the victim‐abuser relationship to Weberman’s advantage in their appeal."
ReplyDeleteActually, he may be hoping but no one has offered to fund his appeal. As of four weeks ago not a single motion or appeal has been filed. I hear that Weberman has not been able to raise money for an appeal.
Weberman has a boatload of money for the appeal. They raised a boatload during their initial fundraising, and the same sources that were willing to fund his defense still have their wallets open for him to fund his appeal.
DeleteMotions haven't yet been filed as they are biding their time, rather than filing in haste, as to best preserve the most optimal defense. The deadlines for appeal haven't yet passed and will not pass without the necessary court appeals paperwork being submitted.
In the first appeal, when the 103 years were cut in half, part and parcel of the plea has been that the people, neither have nor are willing to fund anymore. You either leave it at that, or risking to go back to the original 103 years. That is throwing good money after bad money. Either case, he will not be around till 106/160 years, you have nothing to gain. Let's keep our children safe.
DeleteThat's not accurate. The 103 year reduction to 50 was very easy. The judge was unauthorized to issue such a long sentence and it was automatically reduced. It was automatically reduced a few weeks later.
DeleteThe regular appeal is underway with full force and fully funded.
You must not forget, that there were a whole host of backup victims that were on standby to testify, if necessary. If you mess with a plea, he might get many more lifetimes over. And that doesn't mean he will live long enough to serve them all. With all the backlash to the enablers and backer ups, I don't think they are ready for the wringer. The immediate family, not the least. As is, is gut far yidden, un di kinder.
DeleteThere were no one else willing to testify. The prosecution would have loved to throw in additional accusers, but they had no one.
DeleteAnd there was no plea. He stood by his innocence all along.
And the accusers family actually supports Weberman.
Sorry, Mr. farkas bacsi or whoever dreamer to be,
ReplyDeleteYour dream team keeps on dreaming. When you dreamed up your theory of "revenge", you failed to smell the coffee. It was so obvious that she had mentioned the Weberman saga to her therapist/counselor, way before Weberman's peeping camera, but your overambitions outdid your better judgement. A small disclaimer can burst your bubble. In any which case, the key has been thrown away in Bin Laden's ocean grave, powder ground in prior. It is a much better and safer world without him. After what he did to our children, not even the Devil is willing to be his advocate.
I love your phraseology and choice of KEY word, "WILLING" to testify. Now let's see what happens if we replace it with, "There were no others to testify", but you choiced not to phrase it so for good reason! Indeed, there WERE over a dozen victims that were on standby at the prosecution's fingertips, ONE VICTIM WITNESS present in the courtroom, ready willing and able at moments notice, SHOULD the need arise, as well as many others in the wings. The Judge was fully aware of OTHER VICTIMS 'on testify row'. Of course the witnesses were low key, see what happened to the victim on the stand, grilled to ad nauseam, not for finding anything substantial, but nothing other than HARRASSING HER in order to break her, so as to OPT OUT. Still and all, the IRON LADY STOOD HER GROUND. Outside of her Father, HER WHOLE IMMEDIATE & GREATER FAMILY, SUPPORTERS from all over USA, outside of USA all over the globe, Reporters from the other side of the ocean, filled up the courtroom WALL TO WALL. The Father 'nebech', has been duped and entangled in this MEGA MOLESTERS WEBERMAN's WEB, this so called TORAH THE-RAPIST, threatened by the Enablers to work with them, lest he be 'CHEREMED OUT' as noticed in follow up of contradicted letters in his name. * weberman's * family kicked in, only after it has been pointed out that he has no support from his own family, outside the wife. Indeed, there was a plea for mercy by the 3 known machers to reduce the 103, of which in reality, it didn't make a dent. The hand picked JURY of both sides, unanimously voted GUILTY on each and every count, no sooner they had sat down. True, THIS MEGA MOLESTER still stands by his innocence screaming, "Chai vekayam", without remorse, behind bars in prison garbs, along together with his family's support. Seems that the boatload laden with golden goose eggs, either has sunk, or was only virtual.
ReplyDeleteThe victim told the Judge and the courtroom, that she is going through the wringer sacrificing herself for the greater good of future children, and future generations. Indeed, her sacrifice bore fruit and the perpetrators plead GUILTY since then, of which is directly to HER credit. WE THE PEOPLE, feel her pain and felt it all along. OUR HEARTS go out for her, her family, as well as all the victims. Let us keep all our children safe and sound. And last, but not least, WE ALL PRAY, HAROFE LISHVIREI LEV, should diminish her pain, her tears, VESHAVU BANIM LIGVULAM, AMEN!
I have yet to hear a "best case scenario" on the part of Satmar that allowed this to have gone on in the first place
ReplyDeleteThe scenario is that he is completely innocent. And ALL the accusations are false.
ReplyDeleteatt: Howard T
ReplyDeleteSince they have a large number of followers, so are their offenders. They were well aware of this issue all along, but chose to be in denial, sweep it under the rug, bury it in the sand and make believe it never happened and doesn't exist even up to this very day. In order to keep face as if business as usual, they hit hard on the victim, just because they could, and it was that easy to make it go away. Should the parents try to make a complaint, they have a whole army and host of warriors, firefighters in place, such as men in black in the shadows of the night, threatening to dismiss their children from all the mosdos, schools, talmudei torah, batei midrashim, ostracizing form the kehilla, chasing them out of their housings, shomrim undercover intimidations, and disenfranchising them of their livliehood. This would not be possible if their leaders did not nod and close an eye. The parents have on many occasions personally informed the leaders of both, that their children are being molested by the staff, abused and offended, they promised in turn to take care of it, but nothing ever happened to stop them. It was only said to save face, as if such things don't happen or exist in their circles at the expense of the children victims and their families. This capo Weberman was at the head and helm of this gestapo for both denominations for good reason. He does have this sadistic attribute of which you don't really find by yuden, indiscriminately raping our children, boys, girls, minors, adults, married's, burning them with cigarette lighters on their bodies, cutting off beards, busting bones, cracking skulls, while executing his various duties to even out accounts, and a whole host of viciousness that cannot be written on paper. There is a need for such a position and a rare breed for both armies, in order to hold on to absolute power over the foot-soldiers, and that is the only reason why he was abled as head of both armies, welcomed on both sides of the border, even though they are at war with each other. For his defense fund, Midyan and Moav made peace and raised half a million dollars from both sides of the isle, first for Ksus einayim trying to make it go away, but was rejected by the rape victim, it then went for the attorney's fees.
These ways are by no means according to Torah and halacha such as, raising hands, spilling blood, racketeering, obstruction of justice. By this late determined victim, sacrificing herself bravely on the alter of the stand, put a halt of these attacks on defenseless victims and future children. She achieved her goal and did make a change, it is a different world today with a NEW WORLD ORDER. Children do have a voice, they are listened to, believed, and able to go to dinei demalchuse dinei without obstruction of the Ra bonim, put offenders behind bars for good. The kolko's no more roam and rule freely as open game in open territories, the fear of a lifetime in prison makes them talk, admit and confess. The winds of war start to subside, lose the support of the awakening enablers in the greater areas. Oh', how the mighty have fallen! Still and all, in these mentioned occupied territories, the show must go on as if nothing happened, they are officially still in total denial (although artificially know full well that it most certainly did) , business as usual making believe as if happily ever after, while this fat pig meatball is rotting away at Shawangunk.
Please read on for the rest of the story:
http://frumfollies.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/weberman-has-new-home-for-life-where-he-may-be-joined-by-others/
I still don't understand why Satmar wants to further expose the Weberman/Yagen machine,
DeleteI don't think they have any intentions to further expose the Weberman/Yagen fiasco, with or without the recent book publication on this rape and torture spree. When this Defense team took her to task, it was not that they thought the "REVENGE" theory will win with flying colors. Indeed, it failed miserably. What they wanted to achieve is to intimidate the victim out of testifying, so
ReplyDelete1) as not to be sued, of which they actually are for $ 50,000,000 big bucks,
2) to keep further victims at bay for the same above mentioned reasons, of which there are many,
3) to keep their followers happy by saving face, in spite of knowing the truth all well.
The victim had the world's support for taking the stand, it was a noble sacrifice on her part for the greater good of the innocent children and mankind. The mentality that children are expendable, will be sued out of fashion into oblivion. Promoting as if they intend to make an appeal is only a pacifier for their masses. Hopefully, he will be kept away children for good, so others might learn that the blood of our children are not hefker.
While Satmar can sell "there was no Yichud" to the masses in Williamsburg how they plan on selling this to the people outside of Satmar is beyond me, but maybe they will focus on the "Wife and 10 kids" sob story.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the more enlightened members of Zali's inner circle like Hertz Frankel and Shlomo Herzog saying about this? It seems that some self important middle level Vaad Hatznius hot-heads managed to out maneuver the higher people on the food chain