Elior Chen was a self-proclaimed rabbi and spiritual leader who became the central figure in one of Israel’s most notorious child abuse cases. He gathered a circle of followers in Jerusalem, within which he orchestrated the systematic abuse of eight minors. The brutality of the crimes, combined with Chen’s manipulation of religious authority, drew nationwide media attention and condemnation.
In early 2008, the case surfaced when two brothers were rushed to a hospital after suffering severe abuse. One of the children, just three years old, was left in a persistent vegetative state and has never recovered. His four-year-old brother was also seriously wounded.
Israeli police quickly launched an investigation. As the details emerged, Chen fled the country. Authorities later revealed that he had encouraged the children’s mother to believe the abuse was a form of “cure” for their supposed illnesses.
After the abuse reports broke, Chen traveled first to Canada and then to Brazil to avoid arrest. Israeli investigators worked with international authorities to locate him, and in June 2008, he was found in São Paulo. Chen resisted extradition, appealing his case through the Brazilian court system, including to the Supreme Court. His efforts failed, and by late 2008 or early 2009, he was extradited back to Israel to face trial.
In 2009, prosecutors filed an indictment in Jerusalem District Court, charging Chen with eight counts of abuse, each tied to a different child from the same family. The accusations described shocking acts meant, in Chen’s words, to “correct their corrupt souls.”
The indictment detailed beatings with clubs and hammers, kicks to the head, violent shaking, and even stuffing children into suitcases. Victims were burned, handcuffed, deprived of food and sleep, and forced to drink alcohol, turpentine, and even their own feces. The children’s mother was also prosecuted. She eventually pled guilty, received a five-year prison sentence, and expressed regret for following Chen’s teachings.
In November 2010, Chen was convicted of abusing a helpless minor, assault, and physical and emotional abuse. During the trial, his father and a representative from the Haredi Eda Haredit community defended him as a “naive and delicate soul.” His attorney argued that his right to a fair trial had been “trampled” and vowed to appeal.
On November 21, 2011, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced Chen to 24 years in prison and ordered him to pay 700,000 Israeli shekels in damages to his victims. Judge Yoram Noam wrote that Chen had “employed a reign of terror over the children which included violence, contempt, and degradation.”
Chen’s disciples were also implicated. Four followers were convicted of 22 charges connected to more than 40 incidents of abuse. They received sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
Key Sources:
CBC News. (2008, April 9). Israel seeks extradition of rabbi in child abuse probe.
Edelman, O. (2008, April 18). Mother in ‘cult abuse’ case ordered held until end of trial. Haaretz.
Glickman, A. (2009, November 9). Indictment against Chen: Shook, beat, fed children feces. Israel News.
Oster, M. (2009, November 9). Sect leader indicted for child abuse. Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 