Horror revealed: imprisonment of children and iron bars
Storm in Canada: media publish secret testimonies about Lev Tahor community, Canada • girls imprisoned in cellars and beaten with iron rods • 17 year old girl was the victim of her father and beaten by her brother • A woman was beaten for refusing to wear a veil • Families were followed by police for two years • representatives of sect: "Violence is contrary to our way of life"
- Eliav Shmuel, Behadrey Haredim
- י"ח אדר א' התשע"ד
Photo: Shay Fogelman
What happens behind closed doors of the 'Lev Tahor' sect? Documents presented to the court were revealed yesterday (Saturday) on the Canadian media and stir up a storm in the country.
According to witnesses: Imprisonment and beatings with iron rods and belts are some of the abuse of children within the framework of the cult.
According to police documents which were censored in part, it turns out that the sect has been under police surveillance since 2012.
They include interviews with community members, social workers and anonymous witnesses. Names of children are protected by the gag order.
According to the documents, in December 2012, a pregnant 17 year old girl who was forcibly married two years earlier, was a victim of abuse by her father and beaten by her brother. She was diagnosed as having a "psychosis" and was unable to be interviewed after being admitted in the hospital.
According to the documents, young girls aged 13 and 14 were imprisoned in the cellars of the houses. A 14 year old girl who was interviewed refused to return home due to fear of a forced marriage. The 14 year old girl told she was beaten by her father in the face with a belt, and a senior woman member of the cult hit it with a hanger.
A person interviewed by the police said he saw one member who ordered to hit a woman in the face because she refused to wear the 'veil' which is customary for girls of the sect.
It was also argued that the children were brought to Canada from other countries under false excuses with the real purpose being to marry them off by force. Children of the cult were told: "There are black angels who will come to find them and burn them in hell."
Other arguments emphasize the use of psychiatric medication forcibly practiced by the cult.
On Friday a video documentation of Rabbi Shlomo Halberanz was published, in which he denies all allegations against the sect and blames the judges, social workers and politicians of holding a "genocide" campaign against Lev Tahor.
Nachman Halberanz, cult leader's son, denies this and says that the allegations are not true and are part of a campaign run by former members: "Nothing is done by force in our community. Notthing, nothing. Violence is against the way of life of Lev Tahor."
The published documents were the basis for the decision on confiscation of 14 children from the custody of two families from the cult and they were delivered to families in foster homes.
According to witnesses: Imprisonment and beatings with iron rods and belts are some of the abuse of children within the framework of the cult.
According to police documents which were censored in part, it turns out that the sect has been under police surveillance since 2012.
They include interviews with community members, social workers and anonymous witnesses. Names of children are protected by the gag order.
According to the documents, in December 2012, a pregnant 17 year old girl who was forcibly married two years earlier, was a victim of abuse by her father and beaten by her brother. She was diagnosed as having a "psychosis" and was unable to be interviewed after being admitted in the hospital.
According to the documents, young girls aged 13 and 14 were imprisoned in the cellars of the houses. A 14 year old girl who was interviewed refused to return home due to fear of a forced marriage. The 14 year old girl told she was beaten by her father in the face with a belt, and a senior woman member of the cult hit it with a hanger.
A person interviewed by the police said he saw one member who ordered to hit a woman in the face because she refused to wear the 'veil' which is customary for girls of the sect.
It was also argued that the children were brought to Canada from other countries under false excuses with the real purpose being to marry them off by force. Children of the cult were told: "There are black angels who will come to find them and burn them in hell."
Other arguments emphasize the use of psychiatric medication forcibly practiced by the cult.
On Friday a video documentation of Rabbi Shlomo Halberanz was published, in which he denies all allegations against the sect and blames the judges, social workers and politicians of holding a "genocide" campaign against Lev Tahor.
Nachman Halberanz, cult leader's son, denies this and says that the allegations are not true and are part of a campaign run by former members: "Nothing is done by force in our community. Notthing, nothing. Violence is against the way of life of Lev Tahor."
The published documents were the basis for the decision on confiscation of 14 children from the custody of two families from the cult and they were delivered to families in foster homes.
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