Victim Advocate Finds Closure After Abuser Sentenced for Historic Assault
A prominent victim advocate has declared his personal battle over after his abuser was sentenced for sexually exploiting him as a child nearly four decades ago. Manny Waks, now a well-known campaigner, was between 10 and 12 years old when Zev 'Velvel' Serebryanski assaulted him at the Yeshiva Centre in Melbourne's southeast during the religious Shavuot festival between 1986 and 1988.
Predatory Actions During Holy Festival
Serebryanski, who was in his early twenties at the time, had developed a sexual interest in the young boy. He cornered Waks upstairs one night during the festival, sat beside him on a bench, and groped his groin before pulling him into a bathroom and committing a sexual assault. Victorian County Court Judge John Kelly, in sentencing the now 62-year-old, described these actions as transgressive and predatory.
'It is an attack on innocence, an attack on childhood,' Judge Kelly stated emphatically during the Friday hearing. He dismissed Serebryanski's claim that he was merely following the victim's lead as a 'transparently absurd proposition.'
Long Road to Justice
Mr Waks first reported the abuse to police in 1996 and confronted Serebryanski about the allegations at his home in Brooklyn, New York, in February 2017. In a recorded conversation, Serebryanski told Waks he never intended harm, loved him, and only wanted to do what the boy desired. Judge Kelly characterized these comments as damning and self-serving, noting that any remorse was 'eroded by pedophilic justifications.'
The judge acknowledged that Serebryanski had served 99 days in a New York jail cell prior to extradition to face court in Melbourne in 2023. He also accepted that rehabilitation was largely complete due to the passage of years without further convictions, stating, 'I do not believe you will reoffend.'
Sentencing Considerations and Outcome
In determining the sentence, Judge Kelly considered the sentencing practices of the 1980s and noted that prosecutors did not oppose a partially suspended term. He ultimately jailed Serebryanski for three months but reckoned this period as already served, with the remainder of the prison sentence wholly suspended for three years. This means Serebryanski will only return to prison if he commits another offence within that timeframe.
Advocate's Response and Ongoing Mission
Manny Waks, an advocate for victims of child sexual abuse in Jewish communities, expressed relief that the case was closed, though he was unsurprised by the sentence. 'As of today, my battle is over,' he told AAP. 'It doesn't mean I will stop advocating. I will always stand up on these important issues.'
He added that both of his abusers—Serebryanski and convicted rapist David Cyprys—have now been held to account. 'For me, this has never been about revenge,' Waks explained. 'It's about justice, accountability and prevention. From my perspective, I achieved those things.'
Serebryanski ignored questions from reporters as he left the County Court on Friday, marking the end of a long legal chapter for the victim turned advocate.
