Guatemala's Attorney General's Office reports the rescue of at least 160 children and 40 women from a Jewish sect, following allegations of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Local police on Friday raided the Lev Tahor sect's facilities in the town of Oratorio, 78 kilometers southeast of the capital, Guatemala City, after receiving allegations of widespread child abuse, including rape, human trafficking and forced marriages.
The military operation in the Santa Rosa region involved nearly 480 military personnel, prosecutors and psychologists, who also seized electronic devices and collected evidence of child p****graphy.
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Lev Tahor, “Pure Heart” in English, was founded in Israel in 1988 and applies a strict interpretation of Jewish law. The organization has drawn international attention over the years for sexual abuse, kidnapping, child marriages and physical violence.
The sect moved its base to Mexico and Guatemala between 2014 and 2017, after facing mounting legal pressure elsewhere.
In 2022, Mexican authorities rescued children from the Le Tahor camp near the Guatemalan border and arrested its members on suspicion of abusing minors.
Guatemalan authorities said they would continue their investigation into the sect's activities and possible human rights violations.