---

Reuters, UK
Jan. 4, 2005
www.alertnet.org

---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 13157 • Posted: Wednesday January 4, 2006  

---

SANTIAGO, Chile, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Chilean officials have discovered an old grave on the property of a secretive German cult where opponents to the nation’s 17-year dictatorship may have been buried after being tortured and killed.

Chilean Judge Jorge Zepeda said on Tuesday the cult property, known as Colonia Dignidad and once run by the German citizen Paul Schaefer, was used as a center for torture and as a clandestine cementary during the rule of former dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Pinochet ruled during an era in which an estimated 3,000 people died in political violence and some 28,000 people were tortured, according to official reports.

Zepeda said that between 10 and 12 opponents to the Pinochet regime were likely killed and buried on the property. He did not say when then grave was discovered.

Chilean officials said in June they discovered a cache of machine guns and rocket-launchers, one of the biggest weapons finds in the South American country’s history, at the Colonia Dignidad.

Schafer, who led the cult of several hundred German followers in southern Chile for decades, is accused of aiding the secret police during Chile’s 1973-1990 military dictatorship.

He fled Chile in 1997 and eluded capture until his arrest last year in Buenos Aires and is currently in custody in Santiago.

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Colonia Dignidad Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Colonia Dignidad Read Another Article Previous entry: Prove Christ exists, judge orders priest Next entry: Lia treads a hazardous path from dried flower arrangement to Eden RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Colonia Dignidad Most Popular Today Scientology’s feet held to the fire in Australia: Struggle between a church and the state

---

Share This Article

---

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

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.