Demand for emergency procedure in mikvehs following "Today" investigation: "Children are being abandoned"

The shocking testimonies published in the "Today" investigation, which exposed a series of sexual assaults and harassment experienced by teenagers and children in men's mikvehs in the Haredi sector, are causing widespread repercussions. While the investigation revealed an institutional conspiracy of silence alongside a lack of protection, demands for immediate procedural changes by the authorities are now growing to stop what is being called on the ground "abandonment."

Following the publication, the CEO of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, Orit Sulitzeanu, issued an urgent call to the Ministry of Religious Services and warned against the continuation of the current situation.

"Small children are helpless, and therefore are easy prey for sexual predators," said Sulitzeanu. "The fact that young children wander around mikvehs without parental supervision is extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, the phenomenon of sexual violence is widespread, and those who are most harmed are the children."

Sulitzeanu pointed an accusing finger at those responsible for the public space in the mikvehs: "Whoever allows children to enter without supervision is effectively abandoning them, and they are at huge risk of being harmed. The Ministry of Religious Services, which is responsible for the mikvehs, must establish a procedure that minors are not allowed to enter mikvehs without a parent or a responsible adult, in order to create protection and prevent the abandonment that exists today."

"The functionaries claimed that everything was lies and fabrications"

The public storm did not skip the local arena in the Haredi cities. Bnei Brak City Council member on behalf of the Likud, Yaakov Wieder, reacted sharply to the exposure and revealed that previous attempts to raise the issue were met with a wall of denials from local political figures.

"This is a matter of life and death!", wrote Wieder on his X account (formerly Twitter). "I recently raised the issue in a discussion at the Bnei Brak municipality. As usual, the functionaries denied everything and claimed that it was all 'lies and fabrications'."

Wieder shared that behind the scenes the reality is completely different: "After the discussion, one of the participants approached me and whispered: 'You are right. We must deal with this. But what is the solution?'"

The council member addressed the technological and logistical complexity within the buildings serving the religious public, noting that "cameras are not possible, and placing an inspector 24/7 is not practical and not desirable – but we must not give up." He appealed to the public to suggest applicable solutions: "Do you have an applicable idea? I will promote any practical solution."

"Fertile ground for serious abuse"

As recalled, the "Today" investigation described a complex routine in which teenagers and children, mainly in Hasidic communities, begin to visit the mikvehs regularly from the age of Bar Mitzvah and sometimes even earlier. The crowded encounter in one space, in full nudity, alongside adult men and without any educational mediation or explanation about personal safety, was defined by professionals as "fertile ground for damage and serious abuse."

While in the field of therapy, such as the "Mivtach" therapeutic center, they emphasize the importance of preliminary parental dialogue at home, the current demands arising from the Association of Rape Crisis Centers and public representatives signal a shift to a demand for active responsibility from the state and local authorities, with the aim of putting an end to the denial and creating physical and regulatory protection mechanisms on the ground.