Boro Park resident Fishel Sherman, previously charged with sexual abuse and let free through a diversion program, has been re-arrested for child sexual abuse.
In May of 2014, Boro Park resident, Fishel Sherman, was arrested and charged with two counts of course of sexual conduct with a child under the age of 13. Sherman got about as lucky as a pedophile can get in his case.
After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 10 years probationand put into a mental health diversion program administered by his judge, Matthew D’Emic. According to Judge D’Emic, this diversion program has a 70 percent success rate.
Responding to criticism from people who feel lettingpedos free is a risk, D’emic said “I can understand how people might feel that violent criminals should not be given a second chance or a chance to redeem themselves, over 17 years of doing this I feel like that is wrong-headed.
"...and I have seen the success of people and their ability to change their lives.”
Fishel was put front and center in a number of articles about the program, touted by the judge as a success story.
In a segment produced by New Evangelization Television, a Catholic news channel based in New York, Fishel is described as a “graduate” of the program who used to abuse his children, but claims he is a different person today. “No question about it,” says Fishel, “It saved me.
"...I really, desperately needed it, and if they had been any way differently, I wouldn’t have made it.”
In an interview with the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Sherman said, “This place saved me. When I first came here, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk. I was having anxiety attacks non-stop. The judge changed everything. He treated me so great, I couldn’t believe how he treated me.
"...He treated me like I was his son. He was so incredibly devoted to making sure that I would succeed.
Turns out he has reoffended and is back in court, now facing 2 counts of sexual abuse in the first degree against a minor < 13, 2 counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child < 17, 2 counts of sexual contact with a child < 14, & 2 counts of sexual abuse in the third degree.
Sherman was rearrested and found in violation of his parole in March of this year for an alleged incident in January of this year.
This time around he has a different judge.
One must wonder how Judge D’Emic feels so confident in his supposed 70% success rate if his program includes pedophiles. Recidivism is notoriously hard to track for sexual abusers since rape and sexual abuse are the most underreported crimes.
Lack of a subsequent arrest doesn’t mean someone didn’t reoffend, it just means they haven’t been caught reoffending. Fishel was clearly part of the 30%.
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***HALB Principal, Rabbi Adam Englander, Wrote Letter for Judah Karkowsky, Penner Letter Made Public***
After Judah Karkowsky was accused of sexually abusing a child on an EMT call, the charges were dropped on a technicality. Despite Karkowsky had been suspended from the Young Israel of Woodmere following his arrest, and was not allowed back even after the charges were dropped.
In texts sent to a shul board member Karkowsky complained that the rabbi, after speaking to the victim and his family, refused to allow Karkowsky back or talk to him about it.
*** @COLLiveNews Publishes Picture of Convicted Child Molester, Mendel Tewel, Hanging Out with Rabbi @ManisFriedman at Ohel***
In a shocking photo collection published by @COLLiveNews on the 30th anniversary of Gimmel Tammuz, Mendel Tewel convicted for molesting several boys was seen milling about at the Ohel among crowds of adults and children, and talking to renowned rabbi and speaker, @ManisFriedman.
@ManisFriedman has in the past referred to sexual abuse and survivors in highly derogatory ways and minimized the suffering caused by sexual abuse. Clearly he thinks more highly of convicted sex offenders than he does their victims.
***Child Victims Act Lawsuit Against Yeshiva University Clears Motion to Dismiss, Will Proceed***
Yeshiva University's motion to dismiss in the Child Victims Act lawsuit filed against it by more than 50 plaintiffs was mostly denied by Judge Alexander Tisch.
Below is a press release by the legal team representing one of the lead plaintiffs, Mordechai Twersky.
Yeshiva University has spent years doing everything but taking accountability for the decades of sexual abuse perpetrated against dozens of victims that their administration covered up.
Regarding the Arie Crown letter I posted yesterday, it seems the disclaimer at the top stating that sharing the letter outside of the alumni or parent bodies was assur was put there because the Pomerantz is already dead and "nothing can be done."
There are many reasons this is misguided and harmful, but chief among them is the fact that transparency encourages further disclosures, both about that case and other cases.
Almost without fail when ZA'AKAH posts a case on any of our social media channels we're contacted by people disclosing their abuse, either by the abuser we posted about or by another abuser.
The following statement was sent to parents and alumni of Arie Crown Hebrew Day School.
A few things are glaringly wrong with this letter.
First is the opening statement saying that sharing the statement is a violation of Halacha. This idea that discussing sexual abuse is Lashon Hara is not only wrong but dangerous. Even if the abuser is dead it needs to be discussed.
There may be other victims who think they're alone and aren't seeking help. They're may be certain legal options available to people who won't know to exercise them. And more to the point it hurts survivors of abuse when the issue is forced into silence.
What's so sick about what @YUNews and @AriBermanYU are doing is that (not that this would excuse it at all) they know the cost of coming out as LGBT in the Orthodox world, even in the MO world. They know how hard it is and how much adversity LGBTQ kids face in the community.
More than that, they know the increased mental health risks posed by the community backlash and discrimination LGBTQ people experience because they have access to this information even if they refuse to actually meet with LGBTQ students and hear their experiences.
Despite that they chose to fight tooth and nail against allowing LGBTQ students having their own spaces at YU so much so that they've shut down every single club rather than allow the pride alliance to have theirs to make students who lost their clubs turn on the pride alliance.