Moral and Ethical Responsibility

Sexual offenders pose a high risk of committing further sex offenses. Therefore, it is necessary for the safety of the public to reduce the potential risk of physical and/or psychological and emotional harm to children and their families by notifying the community of those individuals that potentially pose such a risk. To that end, JCW maintains a Wall of Shame on which are posted any individuals whom JCW feels pose a significant risk to public safety, especially with regard to children.

To protect the safety and general welfare of members of various Jewish communities, it is necessary to provide a public database of alleged sex offenders. Research strongly suggests that the availability of such a database significantly decreases the amount of sexual offenses within a particular subculture. The fear of being publicly caught and ousted serves as a significant deterrent for potential abusers within our community. The designation of a person as an alleged sexual offender by JCW is neither a sentence nor a punishment, but simply a status resulting from the factual awareness of the commission of certain offenses by certain individuals, with corroborating evidence of both incidences and individuals collected from additional sources.

JCW assumes neither the status of a beit din (religious court), nor a secular court of law. When there is evidence in the public record, such as charges and convictions, that provide support for the inclusion of an individual on the Wall of Shame, we will use that as evidence. However, in no way should the inclusion of an individual on the Wall of Shame be in any way construed as direct evidence of having been found guilty of any sexual crime by any court, religious or secular.

In making this information and these allegations public, JCW does not intend for the information to be used to inflict retribution or punishment. While JCW is well aware of the possibility of misuse, we find that the dangers to the public of non-disclosure far outweigh the risk of possible misuse of this information. JCW has a carefully calibrated system of checks and balances in place to ensure that no one person has the power to decide who, what, and when something gets publicized. Individuals are only included on the Wall of Shame following comprehensive and extensive investigatory processes conducted by JCW. ( Read more about the investigation Process here) The JCW Wall of Shame pertains to individuals that are members of, or are frequent attendees of, religious Jewish educational institutions, shuls, synagogues, schools, yeshivas, or other religious Jewish establishments. It generally is not applicable to situations not germane to the Jewish community.

Regarding Institutional and Communal Interference

The failure of community leaders and institutions to advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse and/or prosecute abusers can often lead to devastating consequences which can increase greatly the pain that results from such abuse. In many communities, active coercion is employed by communal leaders to deter survivors from filing criminal charges and/or active protection is given to alleged abusers, thus assuring no forms of justice are sought and no healing can take place.

Whether active or passive, intentional or not, failing to follow up on reports of CSA enables accused molesters to go unmonitored and unrestricted and often leads them to believe that they can commit repeated crimes with impunity and without fear of being caught or punished. Inevitably, abusers go unpunished and undeterred while the survivors of their abuse are forced into silence about their horrific experiences. By remaining silent, not only are survivors of previous abuse forced to endure agony in silence, but untold others are put in danger of future abuse.

The Wall of Shame works to help victims in their processes of healing and let survivors know their voices are being heard. For many survivors, seeing their abusers accused publicly, knowing they have helped prevent future abuse, is very gratifying and cathartic and a major step on the path to healing.

Regarding Governmental Statutes of Limitations

There is great variance among law codes at all levels (local, county, state, federal, international) regarding the statutes of limitations pertaining to the ability for survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) to press charges against their abuser. In many states, when survivors reach a certain age, perpetrators can no longer be charged with the crime; accusers are left with no option to seek justice and restitution and consequently, abusers evade justice. For more information on statutes of limitations and related issues, please visit our Law section According to the Torah and Halacha (Jewish law), there are no statutes of limitation for crimes. Consequently, perpetrators of sexual crimes cannot be absolved of their crimes through passage of time. JCW believes that time does not automatically absolve an abuser of the guilt of their crimes, nor does it necessarily reduce the risk posed by an individual; after all, the mere passage of time does not guarantee the capability of a survivor to get over the potentially shattering consequences of being abused. For more information regarding the halachos (Jewish law) surrounding child sexual abuse please visit our Halacha page. Also, please visit our FAQ page for additional information.