How reliable are online allegations?

fromthedepths

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 1:54 pm

Someone suggested that I speak to a certain rabbi about a book I'm working on. I never heard of him before, so I googled him. Got his website, his LinkedIn page, and... a site that mentions his name on a list of alleged s*xual abusers. How reliable is that? And what does it mean? Presumably, "alleged" means that he wasn't found guilty, right? So could it be pure libel? I mean, I am very hesitant, to put it mildly, to contact someone who might be an abuser. But what if somebody just made it up? Thoughts?

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 2:23 pm

I know many people who have been put on a list of "alleged" just because someone had a bone to pick with that person. Alleged means someone contacted the website owner, not that any allegations were ever made by potential victims in those cases. I would be very hesitant to believe anyone is an abuser if they are part of such websites. Those sites do more harm than good.

5*Mom

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 2:36 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I know many people who have been put on a list of "alleged" just because someone had a bone to pick with that person.

You actually know many such people?

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

Alleged means someone contacted the website owner, not that any allegations were ever made by potential victims in those cases.

This may be the case in some situations but that is not what "alleged" means. If this information is relevant to OP, or anyone, it would be foolish to dismiss it out of hand. I would suggest some more research.

fromthedepths

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 3:00 pm

chani8 wrote:

That's what LH toeles is for. You don't have to believe it, but if it is pertinent to what you are working on to know this, then use the info accordingly.

To clarify, no, it's not at all pertinent to what I'm working on. It's just that the thought of contacting an abuser is very disturbing to me, even if it has nothing to do with the information I need to get from him.

5*Mom

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 3:23 pm

fromthedepths wrote:

chani8 wrote:

That's what LH toeles is for. You don't have to believe it, but if it is pertinent to what you are working on to know this, then use the info accordingly.

To clarify, no, it's not at all pertinent to what I'm working on.

You might want to consider how your credibility and your book might be affected if you use this individual as a source.

5*Mom

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 3:34 pm

Is this the only thing that came up in your Google search? If an actual victim came forward, one would expect the story to be online in at least a few places and to mention that there is an alleged victim.

You can also contact the blog owner, tell him it is relevant and ask for more info. Presumably, if he/she had any he/she would want to share it with you. If there is none, well then.

StrawberrySmoothie

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 5:49 pm

depends which site it it is. I do not believe a word posted on unorthodoxjew.com because he posts whatever anonymous allegations are sent in without investigation. Ask him and he will admit to doing so.

Jewishcommunitywatch.com however is as reliable as possibly can be.

StrawberrySmoothie

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 6:06 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

You can contact the owner of the blog and ask for additional info. I would not dismiss it completely.

I did that with uoj when they listed a guy suggested for me. The owner admitted that someone sent it in anonymously asking him to post it and he did!! When I looked into it very very well, I found it was completely untrue.

fromthedepths

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 6:27 pm

OMG! I just checked jewishcommunitywatch and adkan. I did not see the rabbi in question, which I guess is a good sign, BUT... I saw relatives of people who I know IRL. OMG! I have no words. That must be how it feels when you find out that someone you know is an abuser. I once had a similar experience when I found out that a rabbi who I knew, and spent many Shabbos meals with the family, was arrested for child p*rn.

Where is mashiach? We need him.

Miri1

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 8:08 pm

StrawberrySmoothie wrote:

MaBelleVie wrote:

You can contact the owner of the blog and ask for additional info. I would not dismiss it completely.

Wow, good for you that you actually tried to verify.

m in Israel

Fri, Jul 19 2013, 12:54 am

Anonymous allegations are always suspicious to me. I understand that many people may be uncomfortable contacting authorities and so resort to this way of "getting the word out" but the by definition complete lack of accountability in an anonymous forum enables unscrupulous or just disturbed individuals to level baseless accusations.

I personally know of a case (only one) where a Rebbe was blackmailed by someone who threatened that if he didn't do certain things he would go online and make accusations that this person was a molestor. This person was completely innocent -- even the blackmailer didn't claim his allegations were true -- but he was scared nonetheless because there is no way to defend yourself against anonymous online chatter. You never know where it is going, who will see it, etc. This person had been in Chinuch for many years without ever the slightest hint of any wrongdoing or problem -- but who do you tell that to?

In the end he didn't give in to the blackmail, and the guy actually did NOT folow through with his threats. But the whole situation gave me a lot of food for thought. . .

As far as OP goes -- I agree with those who say to contact the website and find out what their fact checking process is.

amother

Fri, Jul 19 2013, 3:08 am

m in Israel wrote:

Interesting. DH has a friend who was the menahel of a cheder. He would not accept a certain child into the school, and the child's father threatened revenge. Lo and behold, A little time later, the father accused the principal of molesting the child! He went through a really awful time - had to leave his job, on house arrest out of his neighborhood and more.

5*Mom

Fri, Jul 19 2013, 4:48 am

amother wrote:

Darling, if it got that far, I'm betting there's a lot more to the story than you know. Be careful around this person.

amother

Fri, Jul 19 2013, 11:55 am

I know of someone who was getting divorced, and she wanted to have her ex totally out her life and her children's life...so she accused him of molesting the kids. He had a really hard time proving his innocence, had to have the kids psychologically tested which was hard on them and he didn't want to put them thru it.....

The things people do to get other people....we need Moshiach really badly.