Serebryanski found guilty of abuse

Two years after his extradition from the US, Velvel Serebryanski, 61, was found guilty by the County Court of Victoria on Friday December 5 of abusing Manny Waks when he was a child.

Serebryanski denied three charges of indecent assault and one charge of sexual penetration of a child aged between 10 and 16, but a jury found him guilty on all four counts.

Prosecutor Jason Harkess reportedly told the jury that Serebryanski assaulted Waks at the Yeshivah Centre on Shavuot. Waks reported the abuse to police in 1996 and confronted Serebryanski about the allegations in February 2017.

Serebryanski’s barrister Ian Hill KC said his client denied the offending and raised concerns about the police investigation and the fallibility of memory.

Waks, who grew up in Melbourne but now lives in Israel, gave permission to The AJN to identify him and stated: “Most victims and survivors of child sexual abuse never get any justice. With today’s verdict, I’ve now held to account both of my abusers, Velvel Serebryanski and David Cyprys.”

Waks described the verdict as marking the closing of a long and painful circle.

“It spans the abuse itself in the late 1980s, my initial police statement in 1996, my public disclosure in 2011, my testimony with my father at the Victorian government’s child sexual abuse inquiry and the founding of Tzedek in 2012, the conviction of David Cyprys in 2013, the Royal Commission public hearing and its aftermath in 2015, the establishment of Kol v’Oz (later VoiCSA) in 2016, and holding Yeshivah to financial account in 2018,” Waks shared.

“Today represents an incredible personal milestone.”

An advocate for abuse victims, Waks encouraged others to come forward.

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage others with any information on allegations of child sexual abuse to report these to the police. My message to victims and survivors is to please know that you’re not alone,” he said.

Waks told The AJN he decided to speak publicly in 2011 because he felt the community wasn’t doing enough to address child sexual abuse. He believes significant progress has been made since then, in terms of awareness and legislative changes.

“We’ve had massive changes and children are safer today in our society, in our community, including in the ultra-Orthodox community, but we still have a long way to go. There are still many victims who are living in silence,” he said.

Serebryanski’s pre-sentencing plea hearing is scheduled for December 12, when Waks will deliver his victim impact statement.