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Brooklyn Rabbi, Sons Accused Of Sexual Molestation
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 3, 2010
Modified Dec 3, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 3, 2010
Modified Dec 3, 2010
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In a sickening story echoing several other similar sickening stories, a Brooklyn Rabbi and three of his sons are suspected of sexually abusing four female relatives. Rabbi Gershon Kranczer, 58, has been accused of sexually abusing two underage relatives; the eldest victim, a 20-year-old woman, told a co-worker at a Brooklyn yeshiva that she was sexually assaulted by the rabbi. The co-worker went to police, who soon discovered that three of the woman's relatives, aged 19, 17 and 8, were also abused in the Rabbi's home.
Rabbi Kranczer and his 21-year-old legally-blind son Asher fled to Israel on Monday night. The rabbi's 24-year-old son, Yechezkel Kranczer, turned himself in to the NYPD Thursday, and was arrested on a variety of charges, including multiple counts of sexually abusing relatives aged 17 and 20. The third son who has been accused, a 15-year-old, also turned himself in, and was charged with sexually abusing an 8-year-old relative. The Post's article suggests the victims are Kranczer's daughters.
The 20-year-old woman said she had been abused by the Rabbi for over 15 years; he is the former head of Yeshiva Tehila L'Dovid, but he abruptly resigned from the yeshiva three months ago. Rabbi Kranczer has 14 children, all between the ages of 10 and 28; those under the age of 18 were removed and placed into the care of the Administration for Children's Services this week. The NYPD is coordinating with Israeli police to track down the Rabbi and his son.
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abuse
brooklyn
rabbi
Rabbi Gershon Kranczer
sexual molestation
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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