Police documents allege abuse, forced marriage in 'Jewish Taliban' sect

haaretz.com Under-aged girls were forced to marry older members of the ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect in Canada, newly unsealed Quebec police documents claim. According to the documents, which were unsealed on Friday on the request of several Canadian media outlets, children were brought from other countries into Canada to be married with members of the Lev Tahor sect. The Globe and Mail, a Toronto-based publication, reported that the documents are part of applications for search warrants. The documents detail allegations of assault and sexual abuse against members of the sect, claiming one young woman said she was hit with a belt and a coat hanger and another told nurses at a hospital she was beaten by her brother, sexually abused by her father and forced to marry a man twice her at the age of 15, the report said. The documents indicate that Quebec police stated investigating the Lev Tahor community almost two years ago, according to the report. Court papers made public last month said children at the cult were forced to take psychotropic drugs, and many of the girls were suffering from neglect. Earlier this month, Quebec police raided apartmentsoccupied by members of the ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect north of Chatham, Ontario. The police would not comment on the raid because the investigation is ongoing. to read more: haaretz.com