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Polygamist Sect Mothers Deny Allegations of Abuse
Fox News ^ | April 16, 2008 | FoxNews

Posted on 04/16/2008 1:39:51 PM PDT by MissouriConservative

Several women from the polygamist retreat raided more than a week ago defended their lifestyle Wednesday in an exclusive interview with FOX News, calling it "a wonderful pure life," and saying government officials deceived them when they raided the ranch where they live.

***SNIP***

"I want the world to know that our children have been torn from us and that they need us," said Sally, a mother of nine.

"They told us that they were going to put us on a bus and take us to where it was a bigger, better place to be — where our family could be together," she added.

***SNIP***

On Monday, officials began separating women and some of their offspring without warning, members of the sect said.

***SNIP***

Texas Children's Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said officials decided that children are more truthful in interviews about possible abuse if their parents are not around.

"I can tell you we believe the children who are victims of abuse or neglect, and particularly victims at the hands of their own parents, certainly are going to feel safer to tell their story when they don't have a parent there that's coaching them with how to respond," Meisner said.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: concentrationcamps; jeffwarren; sect
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To: PeterFinn

Correction.

6 of the women chose not to go back to the compound.

They do not have contact with their children. They are in a shelter.

The women with children under the age of 4 are with their children.


161 posted on 04/16/2008 4:23:46 PM PDT by JRochelle (Q. Where are all the polygamist men?.A. Hiding behind the skirts of their many wives.)
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To: Fred Nerks

Sounds like the Christian Brothers at Bindoon. (without the sodomy)


162 posted on 04/16/2008 4:25:57 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (So you want to be President - it's like reality TV, only real)
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To: muawiyah

CNN said the problem may be the authorites just have the wrong Dale Barlow.

There are lots of Dale Barlows in the polygamy world.


163 posted on 04/16/2008 4:33:10 PM PDT by JRochelle (Q. Where are all the polygamist men?.A. Hiding behind the skirts of their many wives.)
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To: Chickensoup
21 pregnant teens?

And is the father an adult who convinced the pregnant teen, 16 or younger, that she needed to have sex with him in order to get to heaven?

If that is the case you need to report that to the authorities.

164 posted on 04/16/2008 4:37:51 PM PDT by JRochelle (Q. Where are all the polygamist men?.A. Hiding behind the skirts of their many wives.)
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To: Fred Nerks
“I couldn’t see how my mum would let them do what they did to me,” he told the Los Angeles Times. After his expulsion, he attempted to give her a Mother’s Day present but she told him to stay away. “I am dead to her now,” he said.

Crazy cultist bitch. May she rot in hell.

165 posted on 04/16/2008 4:40:18 PM PDT by JRochelle (Q. Where are all the polygamist men?.A. Hiding behind the skirts of their many wives.)
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To: Mamzelle
I find it unsettling how many here on FR flirt with apologias for the perquisites of old, goat perverts.

I find it unsettling that so many are of the opinion that it's the seriousness of the allegations that count, not the verifiable facts supporting them, that justify an armed raid on citizens, (complete with APC and snipers).

Yea, I'm sure these guys are scum, but we must insist that the Constitutional protections are observed. Ask German Pastor Martin Niemöller about that sort of thing.

166 posted on 04/16/2008 4:56:29 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: Mamzelle

All of the photos I’ve seen are of females, where are the males?
+++++++++++++++
I’ve been wondering the same thing. TV pictures are everywhere and non stop but the only men seen are those running to trucks after a meeting.

I’d also like to find out more about child support from the state and why there are not criminal charges for welfare fraud being made. Do I understand correctly that a spiritual marriage is conducted and that once the female has a child she applies for support from the state saying that the child is fatherless? Do I understand that this is common practice there and hundreds of women may be getting state support for their fatherless children when the fathers are actually there? I simply can’t understand how this is allowed to happen and why these men are allowed to continue this scam at taxpayer expense.


167 posted on 04/16/2008 4:57:30 PM PDT by Joan Kerrey
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To: muawiyah
I'd suggest they have all the evidence they need that the group was violating Texas laws.

Then they'd best charge someone, some particular individual or individuals, with those violations.

168 posted on 04/16/2008 4:59:57 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: Marie2
I read that over a hundred women chose to go to a women’s shelter rather than return to their wonderful home.

That would be almost all of them. Where did you read it?

169 posted on 04/16/2008 5:03:18 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: MPJackal

Especially when there is no evidence of abuse except an anonymous tip?
++++++++++++++++
I think there is plenty of evidence of abuse and I think we’ll see lots more as many of these women who are deceptive and dishonest are found out to be very much involved in the abuse of many of these children. Just trying to find out what children belong to what mothers is difficult because of the deception. Besides child abuse there is also the issue of welfare fraud as so many of these women are claiming fatherless children which is not the case. The men of this complex are milking the taxpayers of millions and that has to stop and people need to go to jail over that as well.


170 posted on 04/16/2008 5:05:15 PM PDT by Joan Kerrey
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To: DugwayDuke
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn she is in another state.

Neither would I.

I think it is very important to understand that the women of the FLDS are perfectly contented in their life style.

I think "perfectly contented" is a stretch; I suspect the only reason any of them are "contented" is that it's the only life they know.

Just MHO, however.

BTW, is that Dugway as in Dugway Proving Grounds? I lived there for a few years in the early '70s.

171 posted on 04/16/2008 5:15:56 PM PDT by Vroomfondel
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To: org.whodat
And would not apply in this cult case anyway.

It would if the man involved were not already legally married to some other female. For all we, or the law, actually know, all the cases of pregnant teens fall into that category. (I highly doubt it, but it is possible).

You just can't haul off a bunch of kids with your only legal justification being a report from an anonymous tipster.

They now presumably have more evidence, but still not enough to charge any of the men with sexual abuse of minors, or much of anything else apparently.

The local sheriff says he has had an inside informant for a long time, yet somehow he did not have enough evidence to act. Things are just not adding up quite right here. At the very least the case is being weakened before charges are even filed.

172 posted on 04/16/2008 5:17:50 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: swain_forkbeard

but you are not bothered by the state taking four hundred children from their mothers.
+++++++++++++++++++++
How do you know they’re mothers? Seems to me many of these women aren’t able to prove they are mothers and that many of the children claim no last names and birth certificates are non existent. Forgetting the abuse angle for a moment I’d like to know how many of these mothers are able to get state support for children they can’t prove are theirs and how they can legally claim this support when the fathers of these children are right there living in a family setting. These children aren’t fatherless and I think we’re going to find that out during this investigation.

There is obviously massive fraud going on here and taxpayers have a right to be concerned and protected. If they can’t provide a birth certificate, then welfare payments need to stop immediately until every child and every childs parents are matched to welfare records and claims. There may be an argument about government intrusion in their lifestyle UNTIL it is found out that they are scamming the system.


173 posted on 04/16/2008 5:27:38 PM PDT by Joan Kerrey
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To: Texas_shutterbug
Does the age of consent for marriage matter, since most of these marriages are a sham?

It may matter in individual cases. Some of those marriages may be the first for the man, or they may have legally divorced earlier wives.

174 posted on 04/16/2008 5:32:40 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: Marie2

I think these trains were LEAVING Auschwitz, to go with your analogy.

++++++++++++++++

I agree and it’ll all come out if there is a thorough investigation. To receive parental permission the child needs to name parents which they are not doing at present.
Once parents are known authorities can piece together the families and hold the men accountable for child support payments. At present most of these mothers are claiming fatherless children and getting state support. I think we’ll see some changes after the investigation and maybe some prosecutions for welfare fraud.


175 posted on 04/16/2008 5:34:36 PM PDT by Joan Kerrey
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To: Vroomfondel; DugwayDuke; ansel12; mountainbunny; Pebcak; CindyDawg; najida
Did any of you see the woman on the Factor on Fox?

And I think this is an article about Carolyn Jessop is well worth reading if you are interested in following this cult. It's from the Vancouver Sun, but linked to a polgamy watch site.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy403.html

"If Jessop were to get caught, she knew that her children aged two to 15 would be taken from her. She would be shunned by the community and the local doctor -- also FLDS and loyal to the prophet -- would likely diagnose her as mentally ill, consigning her to a mental institution in Flagstaff, Ariz., where several other "rebellious" women from the community had been warehoused."

ugh

176 posted on 04/16/2008 5:34:46 PM PDT by Texas_shutterbug
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To: O Neill
Here, at Eldorado, CPS went in with law enforcement escort...no guns blazing.

But guns they had. Photos were shown on CNN of snipers and of course of the Sheriff's Armored Personnel Carrier. Thankfully none of that was used. The Texas LEOS are apparently more disciplined than the BATF, and even the FBI HRT.

177 posted on 04/16/2008 5:36:18 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: El Gato

Since they can’t seem to find any legal records, and the members of the sect aren’t telling, that’s not likely. And the way the Texas law reads, it doesn’t really matter!


178 posted on 04/16/2008 5:37:50 PM PDT by Texas_shutterbug
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To: untrained skeptic

Amy told FOX News.
+++++++++++++++++
What would one expect Amy to say. Ofcourse their defense is that they’re being mistreated and have done nothing wrong while at the same time being deceptive and dishonest. Many refuse to give a last name, many children aren’t giving or can’t give a last name. Can you believe that these children don’t know who their father is? Could it be indoctrination? Could it be that they can’t name a dad because the welfare records indicate a fatherless child?
How much child welfare payments are being made to these women and for how long and where are the fathers and where are the sons? Have you seen any males being interviewed?
This whole thing stinks of deception and dishonesty and outright fraud.


179 posted on 04/16/2008 5:40:09 PM PDT by Joan Kerrey
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To: Joan Kerrey
Parents don't matter. The children are raised communally (I'm not even sure the sleep with their mothers as babies), and all identity comes from "the prophet."

When Carolyn Jessop escaped with her kids, they were more concerned with leaving "the prophet" than their own father. Her oldest daughter told her that they don't belong to her; they belong to the prophet.

By the way, I accidentally hit the private message button when attempting to post this!

180 posted on 04/16/2008 5:46:42 PM PDT by Texas_shutterbug
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