Yeshivah abuser was ‘shuffled out the door’

MELBOURNE County Court heard yesterday (Wednesday) how the life of one of David Kramer’s victims had been affected by the abuse he suffered at the hands of the former Melbourne Yeshivah College teacher.

Earlier this year, Kramer admitted to five counts of indecent assault and an indecent act with a child under the age of 16.

The charges carry maximum sentences of five and 10 years respectively.

In a statement read out in court this week, the victim said, “I had my self-confidence shattered”, adding that he had had an “angry childhood” as a result of the experience, and still suffers from “bitterness and cynicism”.

According to Brett Sonnet for the prosecution, Kramer had allegedly admitted some of the offences to school principal Rabbi Avrohom Glick in 1992, claiming the incidents had been instigated by the boys in question. The court was told that Rabbi Glick allegedly said he would not suspend Kramer because he was worried about his welfare.

Stating that the Brooklyn-born educator was “regarded as a friendly, likeable teacher”, defence counsel Tim Marsh claimed: “There could have been an investigation, there should have been an investigation.

“There was a cover-up and Mr Kramer was shuffled out the door,” Marsh said, adding: “Yeshivah was pretty keen to have him out of the school for obvious reasons.”

Describing Kramer as “genuinely remorseful”, the defence asked the judge to take into account that he had already completed a sexual offenders rehabilitation program following his conviction for child sex offences in Missouri.

Sonnet stated that the “Crown does not accept he is genuinely remorseful”, citing his decision to fight extradition from the US to face charges in Australia.

The Crown recommended a sentence of four to five years, with a non-parole period of two to three years.

Kramer is due to be sentenced next Wednesday.

ADAM KAMIEN

Child abuser David Kramer

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