(JTA) — A teacher at several Jewish schools in England will be retried on sexual assault charges after a jury failed to reach a verdict.
The jury in the case of Todros Grynhaus, 50, of Salford, deliberated for three days before being discharged on Monday, the Jewish Chronicle reported. The new trial will begin in January.
Grynhaus, who is haredi Orthodox, had fled to Israel in 2013 after being accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls from 1996 to 2005. He was charged with seven counts of sexual assault.
His flight with a false passport breached his bail conditions. Grynhaus applied for citizenship there under the Law of Return in a bid to evade extradition. He was arrested in Jerusalem and deported in 2014.
The judge, summarizing Grynhaus’ defense of why he fled, said that Grynhaus wanted to avoid “shame and disgrace being brought on his family,” according to the Chronicle. He described Grynhaus as a “highly respected” figure in the Salford Jewish community.
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