- 160 minors and 40 women who may have been abused were taken by authorities
- The accusations include sexual abuse of minors, forced marriages, isolation
- Sect members stormed an orphanage on Sunday to retrieve children
- Sect accuses Guatemalan authorities of persecution
160 minors and 40 women who may have been abused were taken by authorities
The Guatemalan authorities have taken action against an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect following reports of abuse. Over 160 children and 40 women were taken away last Friday in Oratory, southwest of Guatemala City. The bones of one child are also suspected to have been found.
The authorities have stepped up action in recent months against the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect known as "Lev Tahor". This is in response to numerous reports of child abuse, forced marriage, and other human rights violations. "Lev Tahor considers itself to be a "light path". However, they have been in the spotlight since the accusations were made[1].
Nancy Paiz, Guatemala's anti-trafficking prosecutor, said:
"Based on statements, evidence, and medical examinations, we have been able to establish the use of coercion against minors, for example, by forcing them to marry."
"Lev Tahor, located in the Guatemalan highlands, has for years been accused of controversial activities due to the strict lifestyle promoted by its members, which violates human rights and freedoms.
The accusations include sexual abuse of minors, forced marriages, isolation
The charges include sexual abuse of minors, forced marriages of underage girls to older men and isolation of members from the outside world.
The Guatemalan authorities have carried out several raids on the sect's settlements. Special forces and human rights organizations were involved. During the last operation, several leaders of the sect were arrested and are believed to have contributed to the structuring of the organization, consolidating the sect's criminal activities. Many of its members are facing serious charges, including human rights violations and non-compliance with international child protection laws[2].
"Lev Tahor previously operated in Canada and Israel. The organization was forced to withdraw from both countries due to legal problems. The group has relocated several times in the last decade, seeking countries with less stringent legal regulations. Guatemala became their temporary refuge, but mounting international pressure forced the country's authorities to take action.
One of the main challenges for the Guatemalan authorities is ensuring the protection and integration of children into society. Most of the sect members have been living in isolation and, therefore, have a limited level of education and socialization. However, although the authorities are making efforts to dismantle the sect's structure, this is hampered by the protection of the rights of some of its members. Human rights organizations are calling on the Guatemalan government to distinguish between the leaders who are accused of crimes and the ordinary members who may be the victims of this situation. For the time being, the fight is only just beginning. Its success will depend on the involvement of both the local and the international community.
Sect members stormed an orphanage on Sunday to retrieve children
Just two days after taking over the children and women, Lev Tahor members tried to take them back on Sunday. However, the Guatemalan authorities resisted the efforts of the Jewish sect members. Even though some members of the sect forcibly opened the gates and attempted to seize the children and adolescents who had been sheltered there, many were detained by the authorities. Several youngsters were abducted but found the same day, and a few were found early on Monday. Dozens of police officers, psychologists, and social workers were involved in the operation. The US Department of Homeland Security also supported it.
The Jewish Community of Guatemala said in a statement that the sect is alien to its organization. It issued a statement disowning the sect and describing it as alien to its organization. The community also expressed its support for the Guatemalan authorities in carrying out the necessary investigations to protect the lives and integrity of minors and other vulnerable groups who may be at risk. It also called on the governments and diplomatic corps of the countries whose nationalities make up Lev Tahor to join forces to protect those whose rights may be violated. The minors are currently under government protection, and the investigation is ongoing.
The Lev Tahor sect is known for its extremist practices and strict regime. As well as advocating child marriage, it punishes minor offenses severely and requires girls as young as three years old, as well as adult women, to wear body-covered garments. The Minister of the Interior, Francisco Jimenez, said that a sect member allegedly abused the children.
Sect accuses Guatemalan authorities of persecution
The Lev Tahor sect, founded in Israel in 1988 and notorious for its extremist practices, practices an ascetic form of Judaism that includes prolonged prayer and arranged marriages. However, the community, which was established in Mexico and Guatemala between 2014 and 2017, accuses the Guatemalan authorities of religious persecution.
"The authorities are lying, making false accusations," says one of the sect's leaders, Uriel Goldman[3].
In 2021, two of the group's leaders were convicted in New York of child abduction and sexual abuse offenses. They are suspected of having abducted two children. In 2022, members of the sect were arrested in a police operation in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas but were later released for lack of evidence.
Officials had previously tried to check on the children, but the sect members prevented them from entering the farm. Authorities estimate that the community comprises around 50 families living in Guatemala, the US, Canada and other countries. The cult has encountered legal problems in various countries.
