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Guatemalan Authorities Rescue 160 Children from Lev Tahor Sect in Santa Rosa Amid Allegations of Forced Pregnancies and Human Trafficking

Dec 21, 2024, 01:32 AM

Guatemalan authorities, led by Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez, have rescued 160 children and adolescents from the ultra-orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor in the municipality of Oratorio, Santa Rosa. The operation, supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was prompted by allegations of child abuse, including rape, and suspicions of human trafficking in the form of forced pregnancies, child abuse, and rape. Prosecutor Nancy Paiz and Dimas Jiménez confirmed the raid, during which the remains of a minor were discovered, and electronic devices were seized to further the investigation. The Lev Tahor sect, which practices ultraorthodox Judaism and consists of about 50 families from Guatemala, the U.S., and Canada, has been under scrutiny since its establishment in Guatemala in 2013 for similar allegations, including forced marriages and adolescent pregnancies.