8 hours ago
Orthodox Jewish cult faces child sex abuse investigations in Colombia
Colombian government issues international alerts over crimes against minors after 17 children rescued from Lev Tahor community
BOGOTA, Colombia (MNTV) – Immigration authorities in Colombia have rescued 17 minors from members of Lev Tahor, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish cult facing ongoing child sex abuse investigations.
Lev Tahor, which practices an extreme form of Judaism in which women wear black tunics covering them from head to toe, has long been under investigation for mistreatment of minors in several countries.
“We have rescued 17 boys, girls and teens,” the country’s immigration service said on X, sharing images showing some children with their faces blurred or shielded.
“International alerts have been issued over crimes against minors associated with this community.”
The minors, who belong to various nationalities including American and Guatemalan, were taken to a government-run center, police said.
“There are indications that some of them may have been kidnapped, suggesting a possible human trafficking scenario, under the guise of religious activity,” a police report stated.
Lev Tahor was formed in the 1980s, and some members settled in Guatemala in 2013. Authorities estimate the community consists of roughly 50 families from Guatemala, the United States, Canada, and other countries.
The group has also faced legal issues in Mexico and Canada.
Interpol has issued red notices for the arrest of several Lev Tahor leaders.
In December 2024, Guatemalan authorities rescued 160 minors from a farm occupied by the group, alleging they were being abused.
Public Prosecutor Dimas Jimenez said at the time that the raid was conducted due to suspicions of “forced pregnancy, mistreatment of minors and rape.”
In 2022, Mexican authorities arrested a Lev Tahor leader near the Guatemalan border and removed several women and children from their compound.
In 2021, two leaders of the group were convicted of kidnapping and child sexual exploitation in New York. They allegedly kidnapped two children from their mother to return a 14-year-old girl to an illegal sexual relationship with an adult male.
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