Re. How old are these teenagers? If they are eighteen or nineteen they are legally adults.
The boys are typically 12-14 years old when they are dumped. When the boys enter puberty and begin to notice girls, they are regarded as competitors by the senior males in their polygamous sect and are then driven from the cult.
More about the young men HERE.
Re. Isn’t child abandonment already illegal in Utah?
That is a question for an attorney licensed in Utah. I would guess it is to some extent, and I would guess the current statutes poorly enforced and/or carry light penalties or the abandonment practice would not be so widespread.
Re. What would be the benefit to the “boys” to making their parents felons?
The most commonly given reasons for imposing criminal sanctions is to punish persons who commit terrible acts and thereby deter others from doing the same thing.
Re. Government should stay out of the home if at all possible.
Personally, I agree with that statement in general, but believe protecting children from endangerment, including abuse and abandonment, is a warranted intrusion.
Government should stay out of the home if at all possible. Personally, I agree with that statement in general, but believe protecting children from endangerment, including abuse and abandonment, is a warranted intrusion. As do I; however, if I recall when reading a previous article in this, it was because of their age of minority status that groups have been unable to actually help these boys as the legal responsibility is with parents (who have neglected them/kicked them out, etc.)....this may be a way to allow organizations to better "legally" care for these boys (besides, perhaps, being a way to attempt keeping families intact).
I would guess the current statutes poorly enforced and/or carry light penalties or the abandonment practice would not be so widespread. Here is the crux of the problem. If this is a wide spread problem in Southern Utah then the local authorities are complicit in the practice.
This being the case either pressure must come to bare on the local LEOs or the law must be enforced by the State LEO.
This Jeff must have a great influence over his flock to have fathers cast out their sons.