Guatemalan authorities take 160 minors from extremist Lev Tahor sect after abuse allegations
The law enforcement raid on Friday is the latest legal action against the group, which is often described as a cult
Members of the Lev Tahor sect prepare to depart from La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City on a journey to Iraqi Kurdistan in Oct. 2021 (Courtesy)
(JTA) — Authorities in Guatemala raided the compound of Lev Tahor, an extremist Jewish sect, and removed 160 children and teenagers after allegations of abuse and human trafficking.
The law enforcement raid on Friday is the latest legal action against the group, which is often described as a cult. In 2022, two leaders of the sect were given 12 years in prison on charges of kidnapping children and exploiting them for sexual purposes. Earlier this year, three members of Lev Tahor were sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for child exploitation and kidnapping after abducting a pair of siblings ages 12 and 14.
Friday’s operation involved almost 480 Guatemalan government personnel, who entered the compound after several minors escaped and got in contact with authorities. The raid followed multiple unsuccessful attempts to enter the compound, and also included the arrest of a police official believed to be collaborating with Lev Tahor.
“Based on the statements of the complainants, the evidence obtained, and the medical examinations, it was possible to establish that there are forms of human trafficking against these minors, such as forced marriage, abuse, and related crimes,” Guatemalan prosecutor Nancy Paiz said, according to Reuters.
Lev Tahor is a secretive group with an estimated membership in the hundreds who observe an extremist interpretation of Jewish law. The group places tight restrictions on its members that largely separate them from the outside world. Lev Tahor was formerly based in Israel and Canada, and its members have lived in places including the Balkans and Mexico, where police raided their compound in 2022, arresting dozens of members and taking women and children to a shelter.
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