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Seven men arrested over Amish hair-cutting attacks | Seven men arrested over Amish hair-cutting attacks |
(40 minutes later) | |
Seven men have been arrested in the US state of Ohio on hate-crime charges following a number of hair-cutting attacks in the Amish community. | Seven men have been arrested in the US state of Ohio on hate-crime charges following a number of hair-cutting attacks in the Amish community. |
Amish men and women have had their beards and hair cut in a spate of assaults that have been blamed on a breakaway group in the community. | Amish men and women have had their beards and hair cut in a spate of assaults that have been blamed on a breakaway group in the community. |
Group leader Samuel Mullet and three of his sons are among those detained, prosecutors in Cleveland said. | Group leader Samuel Mullet and three of his sons are among those detained, prosecutors in Cleveland said. |
Authorities are expected to hold a news conference to explain the charges. | Authorities are expected to hold a news conference to explain the charges. |
Wednesday's arrests took place in eastern Ohio. The US attorney's office in Cleveland said the suspects would be arraigned later in the day. | Wednesday's arrests took place in eastern Ohio. The US attorney's office in Cleveland said the suspects would be arraigned later in the day. |
'Bodily injury' | |
The suspects are: Samuel Mullet, Johnny Mullet, Daniel Mullet, Levi Miller, Eli Miller and Emanuel Schrock, all from Bergholz; and Lester Mullet, of Hammondsville, according to an affidavit from the Department of Justice. | The suspects are: Samuel Mullet, Johnny Mullet, Daniel Mullet, Levi Miller, Eli Miller and Emanuel Schrock, all from Bergholz; and Lester Mullet, of Hammondsville, according to an affidavit from the Department of Justice. |
They are accused of carrying out "religiously motivated physical assaults" and causing injury by use of a dangerous weapon. | They are accused of carrying out "religiously motivated physical assaults" and causing injury by use of a dangerous weapon. |
The criminal complaint charges them with "wilfully caused bodily injury... or attempting to do so by use of a dangerous weapon, because of the actual or perceived religion of that person". | |
It is alleged that they "forcibly restrained multiple Amish men and cut off their beards and head hair with scissors and battery-powered clippers", according to a statement from the Department of Justice. | |
The justice department affidavit alleges that the men took photographs of their victims after their hair was cut, as evidence of the attack. | |
The incidents are viewed as particularly offensive in the conservative Amish community, where women do not cut their hair and men grow beards once they marry. | |
In the most recent attack, a man in his 70s was set upon this month by his own son, who wrestled his father to the floor and cut the hair on his head and beard. | |
In an interview with the Associated Press in October, Samuel Mullet denied ordering the attacks, but said he had not prevented his sons and others from carrying them out. | In an interview with the Associated Press in October, Samuel Mullet denied ordering the attacks, but said he had not prevented his sons and others from carrying them out. |
He added that the aim of the assaults was to make the Amish community feel ashamed for the way they had treated him and the rest of his group. | He added that the aim of the assaults was to make the Amish community feel ashamed for the way they had treated him and the rest of his group. |
The Amish, a tiny Christian community also known as the Plain People, generally shun modern conveniences such as electricity, televisions and cars. | The Amish, a tiny Christian community also known as the Plain People, generally shun modern conveniences such as electricity, televisions and cars. |