AMISH NEWS from Independent.co.uk

Mystery of break-ins in Amish community as robbers cut off hair and beards of victims

Members of the Amish community in Ohio are being investigated by the sheriff's department after several homes were broken into and the beards and hair of fellow Amish people were chopped off.

Four different sheriff's departments - Jefferson County, Carroll County, Holmes County and Trumbull County - reported similar incidents this week involving hair cutting, with reports of groups of Amish men yanking victims out of their homes by their beards or bursting into their homes and attacking them with scissors.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Department reported the Amish men referred to themselves as being part of the 'Bergholz Clan'.

Men and sometimes women from a group of families disavowed by mainstream Amish have terrorized a half-dozen or more fellow Amish.

In Holmes County, a group of 27 men allegedly burst into a home and cut the hair off men and women inside and cut the beards off the men.

Holmes County Sheriff Timothy Zimmerly told The Wheeling News Register the victims included a 13-year-old girl and a 74-year-old man.

Hair holds religious significance for the Amish.

The sheriff says the motive may be related to religious differences involving nearly 20 Amish families. Detectives in the area were said to be gathering evidence from buggies and horse trailers believed to have been used in connection with the assaults.
Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said there was a similar incident in Trumbull County three weeks ago. He said hair from the victims was brought back to Jefferson County to prove to Sam Mullet, the bishop of the Bergholz group, that Mullet's orders concerning the hair cutting was being followed. But he said his deputies have been hampered by the reluctance of Amish to press charges. His office is working with sheriffs in other counties investigating attacks. No charges have been filed, but several victims suffered minor injuries.

Sheriff Zimmerly told the Register that Holmes County will be seeking felonious assault and burglary charges against the men involved.

Sheriff Abdalla said Carroll County also will be pursuing criminal charges. In 2007, the Bergholz Amish community was again thrust into the spotlight after it was alleged that sexual abuse was prevalent in the community. Sheriff Abdalla testified that a 12-year-old girl was brutally raped in the community, and he expressed concern that there could be more potential victims.

He also said that the community was being intimidated by Bishop Mullet saying that he 'has fear instilled in all those people; mind control in all those people'.

Tasks

1. Look up the following words and make sure you understand the meaning of them: chop off, incident, yank, disavow, deputy, hamper, felonious, allege, instill.

2. What happened in the different Amish communities?

3. Why did it happen?

4. What has happened there earlier?

5. What do hair and beards mean to Amish people?

6. What does Sheriff Abdalla say about Bishop Mullet? –and what does it mean?

7. Some people have said these incidents are really bizarre –why do you think they have said so?

For your answers:

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