Two rabbis are facing serious charges after being accused of conspiring in a plan to kidnap and torture husbands into granting their wives a divorce. Referred to as a "get," a Jewish divorce could be held up by a man that was unwilling to end the marriage in spite of his wife's wishes. Without the get, the women would be unable to date or marry. One of the rabbis who has been arrested was involved in a documentary called "Women Unchained" which shed light on women being held hostage in their marriages. This rabbi had also been sued by another rabbi in the 1990s for allegedly being involved in a similar act to the present kidnappings but the lawsuit had been dismissed. 10 people were arrested in total for being linked to the kidnapping plan.
To acquire their services, women could pay $50,000 or more. The group had scouted a warehouse and the men would be lured to this location. They reportedly abducted a husband around every 12 to 18 months. Recordings of the group meetings divulged that their intent was to hold the men for a few hours, torturing them in various ways, including through the use of an electric cattle prod. An undercover agent spoke with one of the rabbis who told him that they preferred not to leave marks during their work since that could get the police interested in the case. One witness came forward and claimed that he had been a victim of this groups acts, being forced into the get. Those involved were taken into custody by the FBI with all of them pleading not guilty. If they are convicted, there is a possibility that they could face life in prison. You can read more on this event through The New York Times.
