fbpx

Jewish Fraternity at Scotland University Suspends Members After Sexual Assault Allegations

The fraternity said in a statement that it had been unaware of the incidents before seeing the Instagram account but had suspended members and would take additional steps, including reviewing its own leadership.
[additional-authors]
July 17, 2020
Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

(JTA) — A historically Jewish fraternity at a university in Scotland has suspended several members who are alleged to have been involved in incidents of rape and sexual abuse, and has offered to help the police investigate.

AEPi at the University of St. Andrews was the site of at least 12 incidents detailed on an Instagram account called St. Andrews Survivors, according to a report in the London-based Jewish News.

The fraternity said in a statement that it had been unaware of the incidents before seeing the Instagram account but had suspended members and would take additional steps, including reviewing its own leadership, to respond to them. The Times of London reported that the fraternity had contacted the police to assist with their investigation.

“As a Jewish fraternity, one of the values of our teachings we hold most important is that all human beings are fashioned B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. Therefore, it is wrong to treat anybody without dignity, no matter their gender, race, sexual orientation or religion. This obviously applies to sexual assault and harassment,” the fraternity said in its statement on Facebook.

AEPi, founded in the United States in 1913, has seven active chapters in the United Kingdom, according to its website.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

The Joy Within

Sukkot asks us to receive the harvest that has actually come in—not the one we imagined or wished for.

A Bisl Sukkot ~ Don’t Be Afraid, Go Outside

The sukkah reminds us to go out into the world, especially when the comforts of insularity beckon us closer—to explore paths we have yet to take and seek journeys ready for wandering.

A Harira Hug in the Sukkah

I love making soup for this holiday because even if the days are still warm, the cooler evenings make you start craving something warm and comforting.

The Beat Goes On

While so much of the world seems obsessed with and consumed by its hatred of Israel and Jews, Israelis continue to build, create, work, celebrate, argue, raise families, and plan for the future.

Viral AI Video Targets Jewish Comedian

“The biggest concern is that people now have a pathway to shut down Jewish voices through complete falsities that people will believe. … For the future of Jewish entertainment, it’s very scary.”

Yiddish Historians: Writing in Their Own Language for Their Own People

Mark Smith has compiled an important anthology of Jewish history using 49 works by Yiddish historians to recreate or at least open the door to a world of Jewish thought that was once almost mainstream, but which no longer exists, except in the minds of too few specialists.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.