A radical Israeli rabbi alleged to have led followers to commit horrific acts of child abuse is believed to be hiding in Brazil.
Israeli authorities said Thursday that Rabbi Elior Chen, who fled the country after reports surfaced of the serial child abuse that he suborned, is in Brazil, where local police are searching for him.
Officials in Israel have issued an international arrest warrant for Chen, who is alleged to have counseled his followers to severely beat and burn children in order to rid them of the devil. Other children allegedly were forced to drink alcohol and turpentine until they vomited.
Some of the abuses have resulted in serious and life-threatening injuries. One child remains in a vegetative state.
Chen previously was said to be hiding in Canada.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
