Tuesday, 4 August 2015 - 15:19
Alleged sexually abusive rabbi fled Netherlands for Caribbean
Rabbi Eliezer Berland - the so-called sex pest rabbi who is wanted in Israel for sexual assault - is currently on a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea with some of his confidants.
The orthodox news site Behadrei Haredim reports that Berland is on Petit Tobacco Island, a hard to reach small island in the Tobago Cays, according to the Telegraaf. It seems that the Rabbi chose this island due to its lack of an extradition treaty with Israel. The fact that it is difficult to reach - from the Netherlands you would have to take flights to London, Barbados and St. VIncent to finally reach te Tobago Cays by boat - also may have played a roll.
Berland was arrested at Schiphol airport upon his arrival in the Netherlands in September. He was released shortly after on condition that the Netherlands seize his passport, and that the rabbi regularly check in with the police. He fled the Netherlands somewhere during the past month or so, around the time that his extradition to Israel was approved. Early last month the Public Prosecutor confirmed that his whereabouts were unclear.