Text Size

Email Post

Print Post

Comments (9)

Save Article

Sao Paulo Brazil - An Israeli fugitive who is considered to be the ringleader of - and 'spiritual mentor' responsible for - one of the worst child abuse cases in Israeli history turned himself in to Sao Paulo police on Tuesday night. Elior Chen, who calls himself a "rabbi," is expected to be extradited to Israel in the coming days.

Chen turned himself in after realizing that police were closing in on him, Jerusalem Police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.

However, Chen's lawyer Ariel Atari claimed that his client had turned himself in "so as to prevent Brazil's Jewish community from coming to harm."

"There were reports that the Jewish community was hosting a man who had perpetrated terrible deeds, and that is why he turned himself in," Atari told Israel Radio, asserting that "The reason for his turning himself in has nothing to do with Israel Police."

Chen originally flew from Israel to Canada to avoid arrest after police uncovered the abuse, then immediately continued to Brazil.

In an apparently successful attempt to attain information about his whereabouts, Chen's wife Ruth and their four children were sent to Belgium from Brazil last week, the police said.

Chen had apparently sought refuge with members of a vehemently anti-Zionist haredi sect in the Brazilian city.