The Public Committee was formed in August 2020, initiated and led by Prof. Carmit Katz, in collaboration with the Haruv Institute. It was influenced by a similar committee in Germany.

During the first wave, over 500 personal stories were collected from individuals who experienced childhood sexual abuse. The committee’s report, launched in December 2021 in the presence of President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal Herzog, highlights survivors’ experiences and offers concrete recommendations for policy changes in welfare, education, health, and justice.

You can learn more about the first wave here.

Despite its achievements, the voices of specific populations, particularly people with disabilities, were noticeably absent. The second wave is completely focused on raising their voices.

Children with disabilities, and particularly autistic children, are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups. Studies indicate that, compared to the general child population in Israel, children with intellectual disabilities are 3.5 times more likely to be investigated for suspected abuse, and autistic children are at 4.8 times higher risk.

The difficulty in recruiting participants with disabilities during the first wave indicates that addressing childhood abuse in children with disabilities requires unique and tailored approaches. Therefore, the current wave focuses on this population.

It should be noted that at this stage, we have chosen to focus on these populations with the understanding that it would be inappropriate to group all types of disabilities together. In the future, the committee plans to focus on other children with disabilities after completing the current wave.

The committee includes professionals from the field, researchers with extensive experience working with children and survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and peer researchers from the autistic community – “expert by experience” – who contribute their personal perspectives to shape the research.

Similar to the first wave, the committee is chaired by Professor Carmit Katz from the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the CEO of the Haruv Institute; the committee head is Judge (ret.) Nava Ben Or.

Learn more about all committee members here.

• Because your story matters and deserves to be heard.
• Because your voice can lead to real change.
• Because this is an opportunity
• to influence policies that will protect others in the future.
• Personal stories are the most powerful tool for creating change.

We are excited to invite you to participate in a meaningful process with real potential for change!

There are three ways to approach the committee:

• Are you interested in participating or want to learn more? You can leave your details in the form, and we will contact you to answer questions or to arrange a personal interview.
• You can submit your story anonymously online (either through a structured questionnaire or freely).

**Participation is open to individuals aged 18 and older (even if you have a guardian).

For the official call with full participation details: Click here to view the official call for participation.