No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCentral AmericaGuatemalaGuatemala Rescues 160 Children From Religious Group Amid Abuse Claims

Guatemala Rescues 160 Children From Religious Group Amid Abuse Claims

Guatemalan authorities rescued 160 children this Friday from a property belonging to the Lev Tahor sect, an ultra-orthodox Jewish group under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of minors, reported the Minister of Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office. “Operation allowed the rescue of 160 minors who were allegedly abused by a member of the Lev Tahor sect,” wrote Minister Francisco Jiménez on social network X after a raid on the property located in the municipality of Oratorio, about 60 km southwest of the capital, where the sect settled in 2016.

Prosecutor Dimas Jiménez stated in a press conference that the raid was conducted due to “suspicion” of human trafficking crimes “in the form of forced pregnancy, abuse against minors, and rape.” During the raid, alleged skeletal remains of a minor were found, added the prosecutor’s office.

“Zero tolerance for child abuse!” said the minister, who specified that they had support from the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Jewish sect Lev Tahor was under scrutiny by Guatemalan authorities for complaints of child abuse, forced marriages, and teenage pregnancies.

In October, authorities conducted a raid to verify the status of the minors after a failed attempt in August, but the sect’s leaders again prevented them from speaking with the children. The sect, which has described the investigations as “religious persecution,” settled in Oratorio in 2016 after being expelled from an indigenous Maya village in 2014 due to conflicts with locals and spending time in a building in the Guatemalan capital.

Lev Tahor was formed in the 1980s and its members, who wear dark robes and practice an ultra-orthodox version of Judaism, established themselves in Guatemala in 2013. Authorities estimate that the group consists of 50 families, primarily from Guatemala, the United States, and Canada.

Trending Now

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Costa Rica’s Defense Frustrates Mexico in Hard-Fought Gold Cup Stalemate

La Sele faced off against Mexico in a tense, scoreless draw at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas during the final matchday of Group A...

Rights Groups Condemn El Salvador Over Arrest of Anti-Corruption Lawyer

The justice system of El Salvador has admitted a habeas corpus petition in favor of lawyer and humanitarian activist Ruth López, a critic of...

Costa Rica’s Cutris Mining Bill Threatens Massive Environmental Damage

Costa Rica’s government is pushing a controversial bill that could open the entire Cutris district in San Carlos—848 square kilometers—to open-pit gold mining. The...

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica