The suspect
Photo: Ohad Tzoigenberg
Abusive cult suspects indicted
Three men involved in Jerusalem-based religious cult face charges of enslavement, sexual abuse, imprisonment and aggravated assault. Court remands suspects for 15 days
The Jerusalem Prosecution filed charges against the three main suspects in the abusive cult case. The indictment was filed Wednesday with the Jerusalem District Court.
D., the cult's leader and two other of its male members are facing multiple counts of enslavement, abuse, sexual abuse, false imprisonment, rape, sodomy, indecent acts and aggravated assault.
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Horror
Yair Altman
Police uncover gross exploitation of children, women embroiled in Jerusalem-based religious cult
Police official said the case is "one of the gravest abuse cases seen in the past few years."
The full indictment has been placed under a gag order as well, with only a few details released.
The prosecution alleges that D., the prime suspect, headed a "family," which included his six wives and 15 children, 11 of whom are his biological children, and has complete control over every aspect of their lives.
The women and children were "put to work" as mendicancies and ordered to spread his "religious doctrine." They were subjected to cruel punishments, or "sentences," decreed by proxy of D's "spiritual supremacy" and executed at whim.
These sentences, the prosecution said, were executed using extreme and extraordinary violence which included imprisonment, starvation, humiliation and sexual abuse.
The other two defendants are accused of inflicting abuse and sexual abuse on D's orders.
Judge Noam Sohlberg ordered the three be remanded to police custody for a period additional 15 days.
The prosecution said that once the initial period of remand ends, it will ask the court to remand all three pending the conclusion of the legal proceedings against them.
Attorney Benny Nahari, for D., told Ynet that while his client admits to living with six women, he adamantly denies the abuse charges.
"He answered all of the investigators' questions and is cooperating with them in full… you have to remember that in many cases indictments end in an acquittal."
Attorney Giora Zilberstein, who represent the defendant known as D's "deputy," said that his client denied all the charges against him as well.
Meanwhile, four of the cult leader's children appeared in court in support of their father.
"This is all a lie. We're just socially different and people don't want us around. Some wish for our downfall," one of the children told Ynet.
"We're different, so pinning such allegations on us is easy," another added. "No one can tell us what did or didn't happen in our home," added another.
"Our father is an honest man. The police suspicions are bullshit. It's all a lie."
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