Canada
Strong Allegations Promoted Search Warrants on Lev Tahor Jewish Sect
Members of Lev Tahor moved from Quebec to Ontario in November. (CBC)
The ultra-conservative Jewish sect called Lev Tahor is claiming persecution at the hands of Canadian police investigators, but details from the police report used to obtain search warrants indicate deeply disturbing allegations prompted the police intrusions. It should be noted that thus far the allegations have not been proven in a court of law.
That said, police detectives conducted interviews with Lev Tahor families living in Quebec and Ontario, which described a heavily restricted society for women and children. The interviews were conducted over a two-year period that started in January 2012. The sect claims that dissident members are to blame for the search warrants being issued and that the former members are fabricating stories in retaliation. Nachman Helbrans made the counter claims.
He is the son of the sect’s leader rabbi Shlomo Helbran. However, he was less specific about what would be prompting the ex-members to retaliate.
While a copy of the police report was obtained, much of its contents were redacted. As per Nachman Helbrans, nothing conducted within the sect is done by compulsion. The police documents detail a pregnant 17-year-old victim of incest who was molested by her father and physically abused by her brothers. She was in such a fragile mental state that she could not be interviewed by authorities.
On The Web:
Lev Tahor search warrant documents allege abuse, underage marriage, imprisonment
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/02/15/radical_jewish_leader_blasts_authorities_for_genocide_against_lev_tahor.html