LL Camps boss Tal Landsman: ‘I’ve got my life back’
The ex-kids’ camp head cleared of child cruelty charge tells Jewish News: 'I've been through 10 months of hell'
Marc Shoffman is a freelance journalist
Former summer camp boss Tal Landsman has pledged to rebuild his life after being found not guilty of child cruelty, writes Marc Shoffman.
Landsman, of Admiral Drive, Stevenage had been accused of failing to report “indecent images of very young children” discovered on the mobile phone of co-defendant and LL Camps co-owner Ben Lewis, but was found not guilty by jurors at St Albans Crown court in less than an hour.
He has revealed how the case had weighed on his whole family and now they are seeking to “return to normality”.
The 26-year-old told Jewish News: “I have found tremendous support from a number of rabbis, educators and other leaders within the community who have been there with guidance and encouragement throughout this difficult time.
“This case has been incredibly tough for my whole family. We’ve all felt that we’ve had to more or less put our whole lives on hold for the past 10 months.”
Lewis entered a guilty plea and is due to be sentenced, but that left much of the focus of the trial on Landsman.
It took a jury less than an hour to clear him of any wrongdoing.
Landsman said he was appalled at what he learned in relation to Lewis, adding: “I provided a clear and consistent account of my actions during the relevant period upon request by the police and this was borne out in the evidence adduced by the prosecution. I believe the unanimous verdict of the jury, in less than an hour, speaks volumes as regards the allegation against me.”
But he was unhappy with some of the ways the media reported the story.
He said: “These past months have taught me a lot about the media and how events and situations can be portrayed.
“The media attention the case received was difficult to deal with, but my family and I have been lucky to have a fantastic level of support that has helped us through this incredibly painful time.
“I feel that certain members of the press have pursued headlines with little regard or concern for the content of their articles and the affect such poorly researched articles can have on public perception.”
LL Camps was opened by the pair in 2010 and had become a popular summer camp for kids. But it lost its Ofsted licence last August when the allegations against Lewis first emerged, destroying plans to open an LL primary school.
Landsman said he was still proud of his achievements but now needed time to reflect on what had happened.
He said: “I loved the school application process and was rightfully very proud of my achievements, however now I need time to consider and reflect on what has just happened and the ramifications of the past almost ten months.
“My girlfriend, my family and I want to move forward and return to normality. Professionally I am looking for the right position towards which I will be able to put all the incredible experience that I have gained and built up over the past seven years while running my own business.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
