Daniel Hayman, 49, has been charged with indecent assault against two male children in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs in the 1980s. The accused was granted conditional bail with the matter being adjourned until November 20, J-Wire reported.
J-Wire cites media reports that Hayman claims to have privately confessed 25 years ago his child sex abuse crimes to Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, spiritual leader of the Sydney yeshiva Center in Bondi, where the two alleged victims studied. But Rabbi Feldman, has repeated his position that he has no recollection of Hayman ever confessing his alleged crimes. There have been media reports that he did.
A police report issued before Hayman’s court appearance stated:
“Strike force detectives have arrested and charged a man over the alleged historical indecent assaults of two children in Sydney’s east. Strike Force Bungo was formed by detectives from Eastern Suburbs Local Area Command in 2012 to investigate allegations of indecent assaults in the 1980s.
“It’s alleged two boys, then aged 14 and 16, were indecently assaulted by a man between 1985 and 1986. Following inquiries, a 49-year-old man was arrested in Queens Park about 11.30 AM [Monday, November 4].
“The man, who was a volunteer supervisor at camps for Jewish children at the time of the incidents, was taken to Waverley Police Station where he was charged with two counts of gross indecency by male with male under 18 years.”
Advocacy group Tzedek has issued the following statement:
“We look forward to seeing justice for the courageous victims in the Hayman case. We also expect that an investigation will be carried out in relation to what the Sydney Yeshiva leadership was aware of, and their response. We expect that everyone will be held to full account for their actions or inactions.”
J-Wire has received the following statement from the Sydney Yeshiva Center:
“Mr Daniel Hayman was arrested yesterday on charges of child sexual abuse allegations from more than 25 years ago.
“Mr Hayman attended Yeshiva Synagogue to pray or for classes but was never an employee or teacher at the Yeshiva Center. Any volunteer work that he offered Yeshiva did not include responsibility for children.
“We would like to assure the community that Mr Hayman currently has no association with Yeshiva and has been disassociated from the Sydney Yeshiva Centre for more than a decade. He was instrumental in establishing the Tzemach Tzedek Synagogue which broke away from Yeshiva over ten years ago.”