NYPost Eight minutes!
That's all the time a Brooklyn jury needed to acquit a notorious ultra-Orthodox rabbi today of charges that he leered at a boy who years earlier had accused him of being a pervert.
Joel Kolko was looking at two years behind bars if convicted of violating an order of protection by eyeballing the boy and his dad twice as they walked past his Flatbush home in 2010.
"We believe justice was served," said Jeffrey Schwartz, a defense lawyer for Kolko. "Really, there was no evidence to support anything."
The boy had accused Kolko of molesting him in 2006, when he was a first grader - but the rabbi dodged sex-offender status by pleading guilty two years later to misdemeanor child endangerment.
That's all the time a Brooklyn jury needed to acquit a notorious ultra-Orthodox rabbi today of charges that he leered at a boy who years earlier had accused him of being a pervert.
Joel Kolko was looking at two years behind bars if convicted of violating an order of protection by eyeballing the boy and his dad twice as they walked past his Flatbush home in 2010.
"We believe justice was served," said Jeffrey Schwartz, a defense lawyer for Kolko. "Really, there was no evidence to support anything."
The boy had accused Kolko of molesting him in 2006, when he was a first grader - but the rabbi dodged sex-offender status by pleading guilty two years later to misdemeanor child endangerment.
Interesting. He keeps getting acquitted or not convicted of what he is accused of. Here is outright acquitted in a flash (8 minutes of jury deliberations!!) Previously the charges of molestation were dropped against him. All they got was a plea bargain of endangering the welfare of a child. The same charge a parent gets for leaving his child in the car while she runs into the drugstore. No even being placed on any sex registry.
ReplyDeleteIt makes you wonder, really. Whenever a secular court convicts a frum guy of a sex crime, we hear all the screams we have to punish him since he is convicted. Where is Yaakov Horowitz now demanding everyone recognize Rav Kolko's innocence, as a court has found (and previously charges dropped)? He has never been convicted of even a single sex or molestation crime. All either dropped or acquitted outright.
Yeh. Dovid. Was thinking the same.
ReplyDeleteIt seems their agenda is fading along with the latest fads.
The Rabbonim were all m'nuvolim for not letting them go to the police.
The Agudah and other activist were 'ois'vorfen' for "PROTECTING" predetrmined guilty molesters.
So they went to court - against the accepted Daas Torah psakim. They got some "players from Left field to support them and start "nebbie" organisations. And what happens - Their biggest fish -the guy "who everyone KNOWS that he is a molester gets off time and time and time again. One jury, another jury; one witness another GREAT witness - all for naught.
Maybe, just maybe, the story is not exactly like JABCDEF and other "shvence" say it is or was. Just maybe. Probably a bit more then just maybe.
And just maybe this is the REAL Daas Torah. ( don't get fired up - its just a maybe)
To the young man and his family who courageously stood up for "tzedek," and who came face to face with evil: As a teacher who, regrettably, once worked at Torah Temimah with this molester, I apologize to you. On behalf of all the justice-seekers and G-d fearing people who are watching from the sidelines, I apologize. On behalf of all the caring, concerned rebbies and teachers whose hearts scream in pain for not knowing and for not protecting you, I apologize. Some of us watch in silence, some are not so silent, but we are all so very, very sorry for your pain, and so utterly horrified by the terrible injustice perpetrated by the molester, by his enablers, and by the so-called "justice system." Despite the ridiculous verdict and despite the distorted conclusions reached by people in positions of power, please know that those of us who understand the reality of what happened to you will continue to support you and fight for all children who have been victimized. You have bravely led the way in refusing to be intimidated, and for that we admire your resolve and are most grateful. All of us have learned a lot from you, so please don't look at this latest setback as a loss, but rather as just one part of a very difficult and challenging obstacle course. It is a road of rough hurdles that will ultimately serve to illuminate the corruption and hypocrisy within the broken yeshiva system and willfully ignorant communities. It will highlight what must be done to prevent what happened to you from happening to other innocent children. We are all learning, thanks to your courage and refusal to back down, to protect our families against abuse. Yesterday, despite the years of shameful cover-up and lack of transparency, you proved that you have what it takes to confront evil. May we all learn from you! You are a remarkable young man! Indeed, you are my new hero, and you are a hero to many who are cheering you from the sidelines. Your parents, surely, are to be admired and commended, too! Congratulations for doing the right thing. Let us all continue to fight the fight......
ReplyDelete