More than 100 haredi Orthodox rabbis and teachers in the United States have signed a proclamation saying that Jewish law obligates all Jews to report suspected child sex abuse to the authorities.
The proclamation, called a kol koreh, was released in recent days. It cites the statement in the Book of Leviticus — “Do not stand by while your neighbor’s blood is shed” — as the basis for the obligation to report suspected abuse.
“Lives can be ruined or ended by unreported child abuse, as we are too often tragically reminded,” the proclamation states. — jta