Yanki Goldhaber's courage is noteworthy
The case of the "Big Brother" alumnus, who spoke about sexual abuse he experienced via the internet, exposes failures in media coverage and public attitude towards sexual offenses in the virtual space. Instead of scolding him for an unfortunate choice of words, it is appropriate to support and strengthen him.
Yanki Goldhaber performed an exceptionally courageous act this week when he revealed that he was a victim of sexual abuse via the internet. Such a disclosure requires courage in any sector, but Goldhaber required unique courage, as he is a man coming from the Haredi society. In this community, the subject of sex is still under a cloud of silence, and it is generally harder for men to come out as victims of sexual offenses.
Many latched onto the fact that the "Big Brother" alumnus used the word "rape" in his initial account. Social networks were flooded with claims of trivializing the term, and there were commenters who accused him of "seeking attention." Some media reports suffered from poor reading comprehension, even though Goldhaber clearly stated: "Rape is rape, both physical, God forbid, and technological." Later, he was forced to clarify his words following erroneous reports.
True, Goldhaber was not a victim of physical rape, but according to his testimony, he was a victim of sexual abuse. It is not just about extortion or fraud. Goldhaber shared on social networks:
"I spoke with a profile that looked like a woman and it reached very intimate conversations, and in one moment everything turned around and threats started against me: if I didn't transfer money, they would publish my correspondence and pictures."
According to Israeli law, this is a criminal offense. When a person uses impersonation to induce another person to perform sexual acts in front of a camera, they commit the offense of "causing an indecent act by consent obtained through fraud" or, in some cases, "causing rape by consent obtained through fraud." This is, of course, beyond the crime of extortion by threats.
Instead of scolding the Haredi content creator for an unfortunate choice of words, it is appropriate to support him. As someone who has experienced sexual abuse via the internet myself, I think that those who have not experienced it on their own skin will find it difficult to understand the nature of the abuse and the feeling of insult felt by someone whose body was used through fraud. Ignorance and judgment are a central weapon of sexual offenders. The shame of the victims allows the offenders to continue operating without interference, so any step to raise awareness about it is welcome and desirable.
