Fondling a boy’s genitals and teaching him to masturbate using Vaseline and a soft drink bottle – this‚ and not philanthropy‚ is the legacy of renowned businessman Sidney Frankel.
This is according to the seven men and women who are preparing to lay charges against the businessman as early as next week for allegedly sexually abusing them when they were young children.
Lawyer for the seven Ian Levitt announced this on Thursday at a press conference in Sandton‚ Johannesburg.
George Rosenberg‚ Paul Diamond‚ Nicole Levenstein‚ Shane Rothquel‚ Katherine Rosenberg‚ Daniela McNally and Lisa Wegner launched a civil case against Frankel in June at the Johannesburg High Court.
They are asking for R5-million each.
The seven‚ some in their 40s‚ say they were abused by Frankel‚ 67‚ in the 1970s and 1980s and want to take their battle against Frankel to a criminal court.
In South African law sexual assault‚ unlike rape‚ is a criminal offence that cannot be prosecuted more than 20 years after the alleged abuse occurred.
But Levitt says that if the criminal complaints against Frankel are not prosecuted‚ he and his legal team will challenge the prescription of sexual crimes in the Constitutional Court.
“It’s not the money that my clients want…they want this man in jail‚” Levitt said.
National police spokesperson Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale could not confirm whether police would investigate the case.
The announcement comes following the release of telephonic recordings of two conversations in which claimant Levenstein questions Frankel and his wife about his alleged sexual misconduct.
The recordings form part of court papers the claimants served on Frankel’s lawyer on Wednesday in response to a counter-application Frankel has brought against their claim.
The claimants hope the recordings will bulk up the merits of their case and persuade the court to dismiss Frankel’s application.
In the first conversation Frankel tells Levenstein that he does not know what she is talking about when she asks for a meeting with him to discuss her alleged abuse.
In the second conversation Levenstein asks Frankel’s wife‚ Callie‚ how she feels living with a man who has abused multiple children‚ to which she replies: “What I’ve done about it is my business. I don’t wish to pursue this conversation.”
Frankel wants three of the seven‚ who live abroad‚ to put up about R145000 each in security for legal costs before the matter is heard in court.
Levitt said the application for security‚ to be paid by the claimants residing outside of South Africa‚ is a “tactic” by Frankel‚ but that his clients would use crowd-funding to put up the security if necessary.
Frankel’s lawyer Billy Gundelfinger was not available to comment Thursday afternoon.
Alleged Frankel victims to lay criminal charges
This is according to the seven men and women who are preparing to lay charges against the businessman as early as next week for allegedly sexually abusing them when they were young children.
Lawyer for the seven Ian Levitt announced this on Thursday at a press conference in Sandton‚ Johannesburg.
George Rosenberg‚ Paul Diamond‚ Nicole Levenstein‚ Shane Rothquel‚ Katherine Rosenberg‚ Daniela McNally and Lisa Wegner launched a civil case against Frankel in June at the Johannesburg High Court.
They are asking for R5-million each.
The seven‚ some in their 40s‚ say they were abused by Frankel‚ 67‚ in the 1970s and 1980s and want to take their battle against Frankel to a criminal court.
In South African law sexual assault‚ unlike rape‚ is a criminal offence that cannot be prosecuted more than 20 years after the alleged abuse occurred.
But Levitt says that if the criminal complaints against Frankel are not prosecuted‚ he and his legal team will challenge the prescription of sexual crimes in the Constitutional Court.
“It’s not the money that my clients want…they want this man in jail‚” Levitt said.
National police spokesperson Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale could not confirm whether police would investigate the case.
The announcement comes following the release of telephonic recordings of two conversations in which claimant Levenstein questions Frankel and his wife about his alleged sexual misconduct.
The recordings form part of court papers the claimants served on Frankel’s lawyer on Wednesday in response to a counter-application Frankel has brought against their claim.
The claimants hope the recordings will bulk up the merits of their case and persuade the court to dismiss Frankel’s application.
In the first conversation Frankel tells Levenstein that he does not know what she is talking about when she asks for a meeting with him to discuss her alleged abuse.
In the second conversation Levenstein asks Frankel’s wife‚ Callie‚ how she feels living with a man who has abused multiple children‚ to which she replies: “What I’ve done about it is my business. I don’t wish to pursue this conversation.”
Frankel wants three of the seven‚ who live abroad‚ to put up about R145000 each in security for legal costs before the matter is heard in court.
Levitt said the application for security‚ to be paid by the claimants residing outside of South Africa‚ is a “tactic” by Frankel‚ but that his clients would use crowd-funding to put up the security if necessary.
Frankel’s lawyer Billy Gundelfinger was not available to comment Thursday afternoon.
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