Advocate’s abuser found guilty of sexual offending
A man has been convicted of sexually assaulting victim advocate Manny Waks nearly 40 years ago.
Zev “Velvel” Serebryanski, 61, pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent assault and one count of sexual penetration of a child between the ages of 10 and 16.
But on Friday afternoon a Victorian District Court jury returned a guilty verdict, finding he had abused Mr Waks overnight between June 1986 and June 1988.
Mr Waks, an advocate for victims of child sexual abuse in Jewish communities, gave AAP permission to identify himself as a victim.
Prosecutor Jason Harkess told the jury Serebryanski was in his early 20s and had a sexual interest in Mr Waks, who was aged 10 to 12.
Both were part of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Melbourne’s south-east and regularly attended the Yeshivah Centre.
Serebryanski attacked Mr. Waks at the center one night during the religious festival of Shavuot.
Dr Harkess told the jury Mr Waks went upstairs, away from other men and boys attending the festival, and Serebryanski followed him.
Serebryanski sat on the bench next to Mr Waks and sexually assaulted him by groping his groin before pulling him into the bathroom.
The jury was told Mr Waks collapsed during the attack and was in shock and confusion when he returned home.
Mr Waks reported the abuse to police in 1996 and confronted Serebryanski about the allegations in February 2017.
In a recorded conversation, Serebryanski told Mr. Waks that he never wanted to hurt him, that he loved him and only wanted to do what Mr. Waks wanted.
Serebryanski’s lawyer, Ian Hill KC, told the jury his client denied any wrongdoing.
He argued that Serebryanski, in the recorded conversation, flatly denied that anything happened during Shavuot at the Yeshivah Center.
Mr. Hill also expressed concern about the police investigation and the fallibility of memory even after decades have passed.
Jurors retired to consider their verdict Tuesday and returned guilty findings Friday afternoon.
Serebryanski faces a pre-sentence hearing in District Court next Friday.
His bail was extended.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
