Youth protection and police raid Montreal Jewish school

MONTREAL – Authorities staged raids at an ultra-Orthodox Jewish school in Montreal on Wednesday because it had no permit from the Education Department to operate.

Police said there were no arrests.

Youth-protection officials intervene when a formal complaint is made and when laws are not respected such as in cases where children are not attending provincially approved schools that follow Quebec’s curriculum.

The targeted school is in a neighbourhood with a large Hasidic community.

“We can’t comment on a specific case because of confidentiality rules in the Youth Protection Act,” said Claire Roy, a spokeswoman for Batshaw Youth Services.

“So we can’t give any details for the moment.”

Lucie Charlebois, the Quebec minister responsible for youth protection, was just as tight-lipped.

“They went to find out whether the children’s development had been compromised,” she said in Quebec City.

“I will wait for the results of the investigation. They’re on the scene and I won’t interfere in the process because they (the youth-protection officials) are autonomous but what we always want is the children to be protected.”