Sunday, May 5, 2013

Abuse case that rocked Lakewood goes to trial after 6 years

Asbury Park Press    In a tight-knit community of people accustomed to handling problems among themselves, one young boy bucked the trend.

He accused a Yeshiva teacher and camp counselor of molesting him, and when a religious council of Orthodox Jews failed to take action against the man, the boy and his family went to athe Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for help.

Because they skirted religious protocols, the boy and his family were ostracized by their community. Some in the community even embarked on a campaign to get the boy and his father to drop the criminal charges.

And, a flier was circulated in Lakewood saying the boy’s father made a “mockery” of the Torah and committed a “terrible deed” by going to the secular authorities.

But the family stood its ground. Now, six years after the alleged abuse occurred, the man accused of molesting the boy is set to go on trial in a case that likely is to be closely watched by Lakewood’s Orthodox Jewish community.

Jury selection began Wednesday for the trial of Yosef Kolko, who was working as a camp counselor at Yachad, a summer camp at the Yeshiva Bais Hatorah School on Swarthmore Avenue in Lakewood when he met the victim. Kolko also was a teacher at Yeshiva Orchos Chaim in Lakewood.

Kolko, 39, of Geffen Drive in Lakewood is accused of sexually abusing the boy between September 2007 and February 2009, when the victim was 11 and 12 years old. Kolko is charged with aggravated sexual assault, attempted aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and child endangerment.[...]

6 comments :

  1. What is the real mockery of the Torah? What this family did or how the defendant's allies used the Torah as an excuse to avoid justice?

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  2. Does anyone know if Belsky is still defending his uncle, Yehuda Kolko.

    I have heard he has a family connection to the Kolkos. If so, it seems to me there is an issue of negius. Does anyone know the family connections, if any that exist.

    BTW, the Asbury Park Press coverage may depend on the level of reader interest. If you are interested in their covering the story, please contact the press and let them know of your interest.

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  3. While I dont recommend defending molesters I do recommend that we pursue the truth in all circumstances. Referring to Rabbi belsky as Belsky and vying for press coverage are indicative of one who has an axe to grind and has vision too muddled to seek truth and justice

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    Replies
    1. I have written before that I wonder about Yerachmiel's motivations. I think he is driven more by anti-orthodoxy than anything else. I didn't always believe this, but the more I read his stuff, the more this comes to light. He is more Shmarya Rosenberg than he is Paul Mendlovitz.

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  4. Did you notice that VIN NEWS removed this kolko article from thier site. I wonder which thugs threatened fhem.

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  5. VIN always pulls these types of stories. When I had the Rabbi/ teacher that molested me over 40 years ago in Toronto arrested last August, they ran the story for a few hours with hundreds of comments, then they pulled it. They are as much to blame as the abusers and enablers.
    Just Google Heshi Nussbaum, you will find references to VIN pulling the story on FM

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