Elior Chen has turned himself into Brazilian police as…
Suspected Haredi child abuser Elior Chen turns himself in to Brazilian authorities
By Uri Blau and Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondents
An ultra-Orthodox rabbi suspected of orchestrating one of the worst cases of systematic child abuse in Israel has turned himself in to Brazilian authorities, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Elior Chen turned himself in following ongoing cooperation between Israeli and Brazilian police to determine his whereabouts. After his alleged crime was exposed, Chen and his family fled to Canada, ultimately making their way to Sao Paulo.
Israeli sources said Chen's extradition to Israel would be carried out soon.
Chen's wife, Ruth, and their four children traveled to Brazil with him, but departed last week for Belgium. Hoping to pressure Chen's wife to turn him in, Brazilian authorities had removed the children from their mother's custody and placed them with a foster family for two days, after which they were returned to their mother.
Chen, who calls himself a rabbi, is considered the spiritual leader of a Jerusalem sect that was found to have abused young children, two of whom, aged 4 and 5, were hospitalized in March in critical condition.
Chen allegedly ordered two of his followers to "discipline" the children by beating, burning, pushing and shaking them, and tying them up as a way of "correcting" their behavior.
Representatives from Israel Police went Brazil to pursue Chen last week. An international warrant for his arrest was issued in April.
Chen had fled to Canada with one of his disciples after the arrest of a Jerusalem mother, apparently another of his disciples, on suspicion she severely abused her eight children at Chen's bidding. The mother was indicted for allegedly burning her toddlers, making them eat feces and locking them in a suitcase for days at a time, among other charges.
One of her children remains in vegetative coma.
[Hat Tip: Ben Max.]
Disgusting case of abuse, appalling hillul H'. I hope he and his followers rot in jail for the rest of their lives.
Posted by: Yaakov Mascetti | June 04, 2008 at 03:53 AM
Beware of mystical gurus.
Posted by: Yochanan Lavie | June 04, 2008 at 06:45 AM
Beware of mystical gurus.
Posted by: Yochanan Lavie | June 04, 2008 at 06:45 AM
We must all be very careful not to allow our love of Torah and respect for our teachers to turn into brainless idolatry of this sort. G-d gave us minds, free will, and an innate understanding of Derekh Erets (common decency). When we abandon the tools that G-d gave to us & submit completely to the teachings of so-called rebbes, we risk falling into vicious idolatry more terrifying than the child-sacrificing Moloch cult of old. We knew the family for years before they moved to Jerusalem. The mother was the epitome of a loving, patient parent. This is so hard to believe. So frightening and sad.
Posted by: Friend | June 04, 2008 at 06:53 AM
Beware of non mystical gurus.
Posted by: Isaac Balbin | June 04, 2008 at 06:59 AM
Beware of blogger gurus, especially the ex-chabad ones.
Posted by: meyer | June 04, 2008 at 07:30 AM
I hear that Jeffrey Schwartz is flying to Israel to join his defense team. Chen's followers will be collecting pidyon shvuyim funds. Give and give generously.
Posted by: steve | June 04, 2008 at 08:59 AM
All his Chassidim have already switched to HaAdmor Halbrantz (Elbarnes) in Canada. They'll be busy enough collecting money for their new cult.
Posted by: sock-mar | June 04, 2008 at 03:55 PM
maybe we ask the shaylah...It says we must have emunas chachamim and all those things that go with it including of course trusting in the talmidei chochamin of our dor..
so why are we not asking....who is a chacham? who is a talmedei chachamin? What makes X a gadol.?
Who gives the appelation? Would not help with the chen's of the world but might bring Torah back to our mosdos and communities..
clearly we have learned that just because a person can have bekius in memorizing does not make them a talmid chocham.
Posted by: yudel | June 04, 2008 at 05:51 PM
What makes X a gadol.?
The size of his beard and his hat.
Posted by: steve | June 04, 2008 at 07:36 PM
When Chen is brought to Israel, he should be given the severest punishment for not only causing this chilul Hashem, putting a mother of 8 under his spell, acting as a so called rabbi, who beleived children have the satan in them and needed inhumane punishment, but for trying to escape his horrific actions. G-d Help us if he does not get what he deserves; however, his maker will put him in hell. Cry for the children who went through these horrific acts.
Posted by: tova | June 05, 2008 at 01:47 AM
newspaper version
Elior Chen. (Archive)
Last update - 11:47 05/06/2008
Interpol suspects Brazil Jewish community sheltered rabbi wanted for child abuse
By Jonathan Lis and Paula Idoeta, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Ultra-orthodox, Israel
SAO PAULO - Interpol suspects that the Jewish community in Sao Paulo hid an an ultra-Orthodox rabbi suspected of seriously abusing Jerusalem children, one of whom is in a vegetative state.
Local police arrested Rabbi Elior Chen Wednesday on a street corner in the Bom Retiro neighborhood after conducting an extensive search through the Jewish neighborhood.
"Apparently he was being protected by the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Sao Paulo, who supposedly didn't know about the accusations against him in Israel," said Menoti Barros de Oliveira, the Interpol sheriff in Sao Paulo. "He was found alone, in the street of Julio Conceicao, so we think he was already separated from his peers."
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Chen is considered the spiritual leader of a Jerusalem sect that was found to have abused young children, two of whom, aged 3 and 4, were hospitalized in March in critical condition.
On Wednesday, Chen was reported to have turned himself over to the Brazilian police. Later in the day, however, Sao Paulo police informed their counterparts in Israel that he had not turned himself in, but was arrested.
Chen's lawyer Ariel Atari denied reports on Wednesday that Chen had been arrested and insisted he had turned himself in. "When Elior Chen arrived at the Sao Paulo police department in the morning, he threw police into great confusion. None of them expected him to turn himself in," Atari said.
"Israeli police did not ask the Brazilian police to carry out an extensive search for him," said Moti Edri, a police official in Jerusalem. "It was the Brazilian police's own initiative, undertaken due to a similar case of child abuse there recently."
Police sources say Chen's extradition is currently awaiting approval by the Brazilian Supreme Court. They expect him to be extradited to Israel within a few weeks. Chen had fled Israel to Canada with his wife and their four children three months ago after the arrest of a Jerusalem mother, who was apparently one of his disciples, on suspicion that she severely abused her eight children at Chen's bidding. The mother was indicted for allegedly burning her 3- and 4-year-old, making them eat feces and locking them in a suitcase for days at a time, among other charges.
When he arrived in Brazil, local authorities detained Chen's wife and children, yet he evaded arrest. Hoping to pressure Chen's wife into turning him in, Brazilian authorities removed the children from their mother's custody and placed them with a foster family for two days, after which they were returned to their mother.
Israel Police representatives went to Brazil to pursue Chen last week and an international warrant for his arrest was issued in April.
Brazilian Federal Police released a communique Wednesday to the Jewish community in Sao Paulo informing them of the serious offenses Chen allegedly committed. "Elior Noam Chen, also known as Eliyahu Abuhatzeira, frequented a synagogue in Bom Retiro and we're sure that Sao Paulo's Israeli community, upon learning of the torture cases, alerted the religious representatives of the city and prohibited the community to cover for the fugitive," the statement said.
Posted by: anshel | June 05, 2008 at 06:59 AM