Amish men face hate crime charges for beard cutting

SEVEN men from an Amish splinter group in Ohio were arrested on federal hate crime charges yesterday, accused of involvement in humiliating attacks on fellow Amish involving cutting off their beards and hair.

The men face charges linked to multiple religiously-motivated physical assaults, and the most serious charges could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, the Department of Justice said in a statement.

“The defendants forcibly restrained multiple Amish men and cut off their beards and head hair with scissors and battery-powered clippers, causing bodily injury to these men while also injuring others who attempted to stop the attacks,” the statement said.