Australia's most senior orthodox rabbi, Moshe Gutnick, has formally apologised for child sexual abuse within the Jewish community

In a written apology on the eve of Yom Kippur, he said that the issue has been handled inappropriately with a culture of covering up abuse. Rabbi Gutnick asked victims of abuse for forgiveness and urged them to come forward to ensure police can prosecute the perpetrators. "We need to empower ourselves and victims to help to bring this scourge to an end," he said.