Kabbala-Cult Leader Turns Himself Into Brazilian Police – Worst Case Of Child Abuse In Israel's History
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/990106.html

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.