BBC News – Authorities in Guatemala have resisted efforts by members of a Jewish sect to recapture 160 children rescued from its premises.
The children were taken into care on Friday when police raided a farm used by the Lev Tahor movement, which is under investigation in several countries for serious sexual offences.
Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez said they were allegedly being abused by a member of the sect.
But on Sunday, sect members broke into a care centre where they were being held in an attempt to get them back, leading to scuffles with police.
The Lev Tahor sect is known for extremist practices and imposing a strict regime on its followers.
It advocates child marriage, inflicts harsh punishments even for minor transgressions and requires women and girls as young as three years old to completely cover up with robes.
The sect accuses the Guatemalan authorities of religious persecution.
Posted by External-Noise-4832
1 Comment
**Submission Statement**
The 160 children rescued from the Jewish Lev Tahor sect in Guatemala are facing a terrifying new threat.
Sect members have reportedly forced their way into the compound where the children were being sheltered, abducting several boys, girls, and adolescents, and scattering them into nearby streets.
Despite the rescue operation, Lev Tahor members continue to linger near the site, waiting for opportunities to reclaim the minors, for abusive rituals.
Authorities have deployed backup agents to secure the area, but the escalating situation has left the children’s safety hanging by a thread.
Please pray for the safety of these children.