Guatemalan authorities have rescued 160 children and adolescents from the fundamentalist Jewish sect Lev Tahor, amid allegations of child abuse and human trafficking. The rescue operation was conducted in a rural municipality in southeastern Guatemala following complaints of rape and other forms of abuse.
According to prosecutors, the children were subjected to forced marriages, abuse, and related crimes, including human trafficking. Guatemalan authorities are now investigating the matter and protecting the minors under their care.
The Lev Tahor community, founded in Israel in 1988, has faced multiple allegations of child abuse and kidnapping since its inception. The sect has settled in Mexico and Guatemala, with a group of children rescued in 2022 from a camp in southern Mexico.
Guatemala’s Jewish community has expressed support for the authorities’ actions and called on other countries to join forces to protect vulnerable groups. Investigations into the allegations continue, with the minors now under government protection.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/guatemalan-authorities-rescue-160-children-jewish-lev-tahor-sect-2024-12-21