The Jerusalem Post
October 29, 2009
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1256799040019&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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| The mother of eight indicted for child abuse, left, and "rabbi" Elior Chen, suspected of being her mentor. |
'Rabbi' Elior Chen, who allegedly influenced some of his followers to abuse their children, is also suspected to have attempted murder, police said Thursday. They did not say whether the suspicions pertain to one of the children Chen allegedly hurt.
Chen, who was brought to the Jerusalem District Court Thursday for an extension remand hearing, claimed he had been "wronged," but expressed confidence that justice would be done.
His father told reporters at the courthouse that Chen was innocent and added that the family wished the abused children a speedy recovery.
Chen landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon following his extradition from Brazil. He was brought to Jerusalem District Police headquarters for questioning, but his lawyer has said that he will maintain his right to remain silent.
The 29-year-old Betar Illit resident fled to Canada and then Brazil over a year ago, after a terrifying affair of child abuse was exposed in a haredi family in Jerusalem.
In June, Chen was apprehended by Brazilian police on a residential street in Sao Paolo, and in July, Brazilian authorities announced that Chen's appeal for refugee status in Brazil had been denied, strengthening a Supreme Court order to extradite him.
Chen's alleged crimes came to light after two brothers, an unconscious three-year-old and his four-and-a-half-year-old sibling, were rushed to the hospital on March 12, 2008 in serious condition. The younger child suffered severe brain damage and is still unconscious in a Jerusalem-area hospital.
According to prosecutors, Chen instructed the mother of the family and others to beat the children severely, saying this would mend their behavior. The two children were reportedly beaten with hammers, knives and other instruments.
Their mother, who agreed to a plea bargain in exchange for becoming state witness against Chen, said those were just some of the crimes.
Chen will likely be charged with abusing minors, soliciting to abuse minors, assaulting minors and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Speaking to reporters before his client arrived at the Jerusalem district police station in the Russian Compound on Wednesday, Chen's attorney, Ariel Atari, said that he was waiting to see the charges that have been attributed to his client.
"But in any case," Atari said concerning the charges, "these things never happened."
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