Posted on 04/15/2008 10:27:22 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
ELDORADO — Mothers separated from their children as part of a wide-ranging abuse investigation within a polygamist retreat accuse state officials of misleading them before taking their offspring into custody.
Authorities raided the sect's ranch more than a week ago in response to allegations that underage girls were forced to marry older men. Women and children from the secretive community were taken to a West Texas fort-turned-museum and a rodeo pavilion, but on Monday officials began separating women and some of their offspring without warning, members of the sect said.
While some women and children were taken from the shelters to the nearby San Angelo Coliseum, other women were allowed to return to the ranch — but only those who were childless or had children under the age of 5.
About three dozen of the women who returned to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ranch spoke out Monday, after 11 days in temporary shelters. They said in interviews that police surrounded them Monday and gave them a choice between returning home, or relocating to a women's shelter.
"It just feels like someone is trying to hurt us," said Paula, 38, who like other members of the sect declined to give her full name. "I do not understand how they can do this when they don't have a for sure knowledge that anyone has abused these children."
Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the Department of Family and Protective Services, said the move was a typical procedure taken by the agency.
"It is not the normal practice to allow parents to accompany the child when an abuse allegation is made," Gonzales said.
Brenda, a 37-year-old mother of two teenage boys, said the women were threatened with arrest if they resisted the court order. Previously, the women had been told they would stay with the children at least until Thursday, when a custody hearing is scheduled, she said.
A call to CPS for comment late Monday on the women's claims was not immediately returned.
CPS's closing of the shelters came a day after three mothers from the ranch petitioned Gov. Rick Perry to inspect the shelters to see firsthand how families were being treated. The women said the living conditions were cramped and that some of the children had become sick.
About 20 children were recovering from a mild case of chicken pox, said Dr. Sandra Guerra-Cantu with the state Health Department.
Perry spokesman Robert Black said the governor did not believe the children were being housed in poor conditions at the West Texas fort.
"Let's be honest here, this is not the Ritz," Black said. But he called the accommodations "clean and neat."
CPS said officials have been planning the move for a week but that the coliseum was unavailable earlier. About two dozen teenage boys were moved to a facility outside San Angelo with the judge's permission, CPS said. The location was not released.
The state is accusing the sect of physically and sexually abusing the youngsters and wants to strip their parents of custody and place the children in foster care or put them up for adoption. The sheer size of the case was an obstacle.
"Quite frankly, I'm not sure what we're going to do," state District Judge Barbara Walther said after a conference that included three to four dozen attorneys either representing or hoping to represent youngsters.
Brenda and others were critical of CPS, saying the agency misled them as to what was to happen Monday, weren't told why the children were removed from the compound and given inaccurate messages about opportunities to meet attorneys.
"We got to where we said, 'We cannot believe a word you say. We cannot trust you,'" she said.
Officials said the investigation began with a call from a young girl who has yet to be located by CPS. The women in the sect said they suspect she may be a bitter ex-member of the church.
The FLDS practice polygamy in arranged marriages, sometimes between underage girls and older men. The group has thousands of followers in two side-by-side towns in Arizona and Utah.
The church has repeatedly fought because of its lifestyle before. Men, women and children have been swept up in raids that took place in 1935, 1944 and 1953.
"It's been all through history, " said Brenda, the mother of two. "We were just here trying to live a peaceful, happy, sweet life. We don't understand why we can't do this freely."
Adultery is 'biblical' too, but it's frowned upon in the bible.
Seems pretty clear to me that God's plan was for "a man to leave his father and mother and cleave to his WIFE (not wives) and the TWO (not three or four) shall become one flesh".
Further, there are multiple verses in the New Testament that specifically state that men in leadership positions in the church are to be the husband of one wife.
Seems pretty clear, God's preference is for monogamy.
Are you suggesting that the State of TX should have done nothing?
susie
Amen, cc. Thank you for your post!
Well, the children are....
susie
Slavery is also Biblical.
susie
Besides they came from the Arizona Strip not Utah, where they have also been in a sort of prison. Jeffs was in the process of taking the younger ones to Texas for a new crop of sex brides. Problem with Arizona and Utah for that matter is they have been looking the other way for much too long regarding these sad and strange folks. My belief is that because the COJCLDS still believes that the practice will be theirs in the afterlife, they are sympathetic. Good luck having it both ways you bright apologists.
Polygamy is “Biblical” in the sense that it ALWAYS ends badly.
God’s plan is CLEARLY monogamous marriage.
Thanks Bing. How is the weather down in Polygamy land?
It is overcast, windy and cold in Salt Lake City. Yesterday the temperature was 80*, today it is 48*.
Utah....we love thee!
Nope. Investigators found the beds in the temple.
This is not biblical times, middle ages, nor is it the 1800’s. Its 2008.
Incest is illegal. Polygamy is illegal. So is child molestation.
While a I agree with your statement that people in the united states have a legitimate right to live according to their beliefs, they must also respect and uphold the rule of law in this country. You cannot have one without the other.
If I was driving down the freeway at 150mph and the police pulled me over, how legitimite would my defense be that I can drive at that speed because its according to my beliefs and I worship the church of open wheel racing.
Or that back in the 1800’s, there was no speed limits so I should be able to do whatever I want.
Flippin’ wind. But 60 degrees. Hard to get on the tractor today with the flying objects.
Maybe I’ll make a run down to Colorado City and see if Elsies favorite banjo player is still out there sitting on that rock.
Or make a trip to Wal-Mart in St. George and watch the poor polygs follow each other around with that blank stare on their faces. Wish I knew what to do about this.
True. But they have no idea what they were used for, do they?
Really??? How many wives do YOU have?
Where in the Bible does it say that Abraham and Israel were committing sin by their polygamous marriages? It doesn’t. Maybe your preacher’s interpretation of the Bible says it is sinful, but it isn’t in the Bible.
Joseph Smith was not a false prophet. You don’t believe in him, but you are not the possessor of all knowledge.
When will the law go after Muslim polygamists/child abusers?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I doubt it.
The Bible accepts it without comment. There is no evidence in the Bible that any of the prophets practiced it, that I’m aware of.
But the prophets did practice polygamy.
I’m thinking more and more it was a phony tip. Probably cooked up by Jessop’s “escaped” wife and her friends on the outside. Just to make trouble for her ex. Hell hath no fury.
I base this on Little Anderson’s interviews last night with Kathleen Jessop, Jessop’s primary wife, followed by an interview with another Jessop lady, this one who ran off and expressed her extreme disgust with the favored wife.
This happens in harems and has happened from time immemorial. It’s in the Bible. The “extra” younger wives usually have it in for the older, preferred wife. There’s no way women can really live happily together in plural marriages, under the same roof. The nature of the female is to be jealous. That’s why they call them “cat fights”. Did you ever watch female cats fight for supremacy?
Everyone has been hoaxed by a bitter ex...especially Little Anderson.
BINGO!
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