Brooklyn DA's Office, Citing Victim Protection, Refuses To Release Names of Hasidic Men Charged With Sex Crimes

The Forward reports today that its request under New York's Freedom of Information Law for the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office to release of the names of 85 Orthodox Jewish men who have been arrested on sex charges during the past three years has been refused. In a letter to the Forward, the prosecutor's office wrote: "Because all of the requested defendant names relate to Hasidic men who are alleged to have committed sex crimes against Hasidic victims within a very tight-knit and insular Brooklyn community, there is a significant danger that the disclosure of the defendants’ names would lead members of that community to discern the identities of the victims." The letter also raised concerns that disclosure leading to identifying the victims could interfere with the operation of its special hot line (called Kol Tzedek, or Voice of Justice) set up three years ago to encourage Orthodox Jewish abuse victims to report abuse to authorities.