DEININGEN, Germany, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- German police said they raided the monastery and farm of a Christian sect in Bavaria and removed 40 children amid allegations of child abuse.
The children, whose ages range from 7 months to 17 years, are members of the Twelve Tribes group, which has roots in the United States.
They were placed with foster families while police investigate, The Guardian reported.
Police said they had been watching the sect's activities because members have refused to send their children to community schools, and teaching licenses were recently withdrawn from the religious group's own school near Deiningen.
The group's sites were raided by 100 police officers Thursday after authorities received new evidence indicating child abuse, The Guardian said. The facilities remained sealed off Friday, the newspaper said.
Police said members the sect, led by Detlef Markell, 54, have allegedly beaten their children with a small rod soaked in oil to make it more pliable.
The parents have denied the accusations and said they do not tolerate child abuse, The Guardian said.
