Police: Indict Rabbi Moti Elon for sexual abuse
Police suspect Elon, one of the most prominent rabbis in the religious Zionist movement, of forcibly committing indecent acts on two minors.
By Tomer ZarchinThe police yesterday announced they had collected sufficient evidence to recommend that Rabbi Mordechai (Moti) Elon be indicted on charges of sexual crimes.
Police suspect Elon, one of the most prominent rabbis in the religious Zionist movement, of forcibly committing indecent acts on two minors.
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Moti Elon |
In the coming days the file will be turned over to the Jerusalem district prosecutor, who will decide whether to go forward with an indictment.
In an unusual step, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and State Prosecutor Moshe Lador closely followed the case while the police were still investigating Elon.
In February, Weinstein instructed the police to examine complaints about Elon that had been made public by Takana, a forum that fights sexual abuse in the Orthdox community.
The head of the police investigations and intelligence branch, Maj. Gen. Yoav Segalovich, instructed the national fraud squad to take charge of the probe. The latter sought out the complainants, among other sources, through Takana.
The police found that the statute of limitations had run out on some of the complaints. However, a few weeks ago, one person came forward and testified that from 2005 to 2006, when he was a minor, Elon forcibly committed indecent acts against him.
This evidence, together with testimony from individuals who were in contact with the complainant during the period of the alleged acts convinced Weinstein, Segalovich and Lador to order a thorough investigation of the allegations. The investigation included testimony from various individuals who had come into contact with the complainant during the time the alleged crimes were committed and strengthened the suspicions against Elon.
Weinstein then ordered a criminal file opened against Elon. He was questioned under warning on suspicion of committing indecent acts by force and indecent acts against a minor.
During the investigation police say another person came forward and told them that when he was a minor, Elon had sexually abused him, and Elon was summoned again for questioning.
The Jerusalem district prosecutor's office is expected to decide within just a few months whether to indict Elon, since the state prosecutor's office has been overseeing the case since its early phases.
Suspicions against Elon came to the attention of Takana four years ago. The forum demanded that Elon cease his educational activities, and placed various restrictions on him. With no explanation to his students and followers, Elon, who was popular with students, left his post as head of Yeshivat Hakotel in Jerusalem, and moved with his family to Migdal on the Kinneret.
In 2006, Takana informed then attorney general Menachem Mazuz of the complaints against Elon. Mazuz conveyed the information to the police, but decided not to order an investigation against Elon.
Takana said they decided to go public with the allegations because Elon "did not follow the restrictions imposed on him."
Elon's attorney, Yair Golan, told Haaretz yesterday that he is certain that a close investigation will reveal that Elon committed no crimes. "We hope in the end that no indictment will be issued against Rabbi Elon. The rabbi cooperated with the investigation, answered all questions he was asked, and denied that he committed any crime. He will continue to fight for the truth and for his good name."
Yair Ettinger contributed to this report.
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What is this world coming to? When a Rabbi and/or a priest is accused sexual misconduct, then who are we to trust our children with? Who is supposed to a role model for the young? A sexual pervert who is a Rabbi?
There should not BE a statute of limitations on a crime like this! And what did Takana think they were doing, slapping him on the wrist and telling him to be a good boy in future? If they had suspicions about his conduct, they should have been reported to the police. How come rabbis are exempt from the law? Teachers and rabbis should be held to the highest possible standards (I'm an ex-teacher) because of the trust placed in them.
Obviously, religion has nothing to do with gayness, and other than this rabbi being prominent in his community, there would have been no reason for Haaretz or any other news outlet to trumpet the case. The peculiar factor here, which the press keeps hidden for some reason, is that Rabbi Elon has a brother who is openly gay. If out of 5 kids, all sons, the Elon family produced two gays (about 10 times higher than what general probability would suggest), there might be either something genetic or something in the upbringing that tilts the chances towards gayness. I think this should be a valuable case for researchers to look into. P.S. If Haaretz censores this post, the scientific world might lose a great lead. So please cool it, Mr. Censor.