In an interview with Kobi Sela, Attorney Rivka Schwartz, a haredi woman who represents victims of sexual abuse, noted how attitudes about reporting sex abuse have changed in recent years for the haredi public.

“In the past it was generally just older people, talking about what happened in the past, now there’s talk in every place. And younger people are talking, too.

“Haredi society is more open now, with the access to social media. In addition, parents are more a aware now than in the past concerning what’s going on with their children.

“It’s not that there are really more occurrences of sexual abuse now than in the past, it’s just that the society has opened up and people are talking more, so you hear about it more.”

In addition to her work as a prosecutor in sex abuse cases in the haredi public, Rivka works to further give haredi women a voice through an online forum that she runs.

“It’s a social site, a marketing site. The women can speak about whatever they want, and take advice from other women there. It is also meant to be a platform for connecting women with sources with whom they would otherwise not get in contact with – such as, for example, Knesset members.

When Sela asked if he could get help from the site to get in touch with influential people, Schwartz quickly replied, “no, the site is for women only, But you’re welcome to send your wife.”