Skip to main content.
Related sites:
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
Web religionnewsblog.com
Home | Site Menu | About RNB | RNB Store | Cult FAQ | Cult Experts | Apologetics Index | Cult Information Search Engine
Colonia Dignidad:

Argentina expels Chile cult head

BBC, UK
Mar. 13, 2005
news.bbc.co.uk
  • Article Tools  • Share This Story

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 10539 • Posted: Sunday March 13, 2005  

Click here... More articles on this topic: Colonia Dignidad

Argentina is to deport a former Nazi to Chile, where he is wanted on charges of sexually abusing children.

The decision was announced two days after Chile’s most wanted fugitive was arrested after eight years on the run.

Schaefer, 83, was a corporal in the German army during World War II before running a religious commune in Chile.

Colonia Dignidad, established in 1961, was cut off from the outside world and was alleged to have been a centre for torture and child abuse under Schaefer.

Schaefer was arrested on Thursday after a joint operation between Argentine and Chilean police.

He was taken to hospital on Friday complaining of high blood pressure, but health concerns did not affect the deportation order, passed under a new Argentinean law to avoid complex extradition procedures.

Suspicions

His expulsion was confirmed by Argentine federal judge Hector Echave and Chilean Interior Minister Jose Miguel Insulza.

He is also wanted in Germany on suspicion of the abuse and corruption of minors, and is under investigation in France.

A Chilean judge late last year convicted and sentenced him in absentia for sexually abusing 26 minors following allegations from victims.

Twenty-two other members of Colonia Dignidad were also found guilty.

He is expected to face a court hearing on Monday after returning to Chile by air force transport.

Chilean authorities have long held suspicions that Colonia Dignidad was used as a torture and interrogation centre during the military regime of Gen Augusto Pinochet.

In addition, Schaefer is wanted for questioning about the disappearance in 1985 of Boris Weisfeiler, an American Jewish mathematics professor of Russian origin.

‘Anti-communist philosophies’

For years, Colonia Dignidad was a mysterious community that was cut off from the outside world by barbed wire fences.

But in recent years former residents have testified of sexual abuse, the use of drugs and the separation of families.

German was the dominant language and Schaefer was the supreme ruler, they said.

Colonia Dignidad still exists - although it is now called Villa Baviera - and has about 280 residents.

Members have denied they participated in torture but said they had friendly relations with the military, with whom they shared anti-communist philosophies.



Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe: Religion News Blog RSS feed  |  Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe by topic: Colonia Dignidad
more cult news articlemore religion news More articles about Colonia Dignidad

Like this story?

Today's Most Popular Articles

Share this

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:




Article and Site Tools

» PermaLink to: Argentina expels Chile cult head
   Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final /
» More news articles + news archive on Colonia Dignidad
» More religion and cult news

Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?]
» RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed
» RSS News Feed - Single Topic: Colonia Dignidad
» Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines

More Article Tools
• Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us
• Bookmark / Tag: Furl
Save this article
Email this article
Print this article [Temporarily out of order]

More Information
Books about Colonia Dignidad
Relevant books (and other goodies)

more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine