Huju:
You have missed the point. I got the “innocent until proven guilty” message. And every media report that discusses any of the arrestees must include the word alleged. Got it. You are obsessed with the technicalities. You have missed the elephant in the room.
The culture of Lakewood and other kollel communities is based on avoiding parnosoh, assigning oneself to full time learning, at yenem’s expense. Whether this should be permitted altogether is not a clear issue. The Gemora specifies not to do that at all. There are reasons to make exceptions and permit עשרה בטלנים. And these can continue their learning at the expense of the public. But these are the exceptions, and is NOT the rule.
We need our kollelim, to have where the growth from bochur to klai kodesh takes place. These are our future roshei yeshivos, magidei shiur, poskim, dayanim, rabbonim, etc. They are important assets to the community. But not everyone should go that way. Those equipped with the resources to become business owners, mechanics, doctors, etc. should utilize their potential and become assets to the Klal in their own way. Of course, they should continue to live as Torah true Yidden, with regular learning. One can be quite holy as an owner of a hardware store, a car service driver, or insurance agent. Perhaps the kollel yungerman has more data of Torah knowledge. Hopefully that yungerman is working towards his own potential.
Another angle – the poverty (at least the spirit of the law) that renders one eligible for entitlements is not the kind that is self imposed. The latter might be someone’s privilege, but that cannot be at the expense of others. That is not exactly what I would call a Kiddush Hashem. If I throw my wallet into the ocean, do you have an obligation to compensate me for my loss?
So I am ignoring the issue of the couples arrested here. I am only addressing the kollel lifestyle and the kollel community. I question whether it is permitted altogether to make oneself a “case” for public assistance because one followed the trend to sit in kollel. And upon whose direction has this yungerman rejected going to work or training for work?