Report: Polygamist Families Abused Kids

Two Out Of Three Households At Infamous Texas Ranch Had Abused Or Neglected Children, Child Welfare Officials Say

(AP)  Nearly two-thirds of the families living at a polygamist group's ranch - targeted in a high-profile raid last spring - had children who were abused or neglected, Texas child welfare officials said in a report released Tuesday.

The Department of Family and Protective Services concluded there was evidence that 12 girls, ages 12 to 15, were "spiritually" married to adult men in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which runs the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. Seven of them had one or more children, the report says.

Another 262 children were listed as neglected because the agency said their parents knew there was sexual abuse in the household but did not move to protect them from possible abuse.

"The Yearning for Zion case is about sexual abuse of girls and children who were taught that underage marriages are a way of life. It is about parents who condoned illegal underage marriages and adults who failed to protect young girls - it has never been about religion," the agency said.

The report, which summarizes the investigations done on all 439 children at the West Texas ranch, was issued at the request of the Health and Human Services executive commissioner, a gubernatorial appointee who oversees the protective services agency.

"We received what we believed was a bona fide abuse/neglect report. We were required by law to investigate," said DFPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins of the April raid.

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Read The Department of Family and Protective Services Report Here

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The report, an unusual step taken to help satisfy expected questions from the state Legislature when it convenes in January, summarized individual investigations and the history of the case. The findings, though shared with law enforcement, are separate from the ongoing criminal cases.

The executive commissioner, Albert Hawkins, is satisfied with the report, which includes a history of the raid and legal decisions made during the case, said spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman.

"It's easy to forget that when (child welfare authorities) arrived at the ranch, it was a very confusing situation," she said.

The individual investigations, which covered 146 families, concluded that 91 families had children who were abused or neglected. Crimmins said that conclusion confirmed what investigators initially suspected - that girls were being forced into underage marriages and other children were exposed to that harm.

FLDS spokesman Willie Jessop disputed the findings.

"The department has made many allegations that it's never been able to back up, in an effort to justify their barbaric actions," he said. "They need to learn how to say we're sorry instead of trying to justify their actions."

All the children from the ranch were placed in foster care in April after authorities raided it in response to calls to a domestic abuse hot line. Those calls are being investigated as a hoax, though a dozen FLDS men now face charges including sexual abuse and bigamy based on documents and evidence seized at the ranch.

The children were returned to their parents in June after the Texas Supreme Court ruled the state had overstepped in removing all the children when it only had evidence of abuse or neglect involving about a half-dozen girls. Many of the children were boys or younger than 5.

Since the investigations, most of the 200 parents have been through parenting classes and signed agreements promising to protect their children from alleged abusers. All but 15 of the children's cases have been dropped from court oversight because the agency believes they can be kept safe. One girl has been returned to foster care.

The FLDS, which believes polygamy brings glorification in heaven, is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago.

[chicagorail9]

Polygamy is the core value of ther gutter cult known as mormonism, don''t forget.

It''s why Joe Smith founded his little boy''s club - for unrepentant, wholesale, wanton, orgiastic taking of multiple wives by a single, all-powerful MAN.

Warren Jeffs'' compound, "Yearning For Sweet, Sweet, Underage Poosie" has parallels and equals all thruout the InterMountain West - Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona - everywhere where you find these inbred, judgemental, ignorant and clannish HillBillies called mormons.



Their embarassing cult needs to be outlawed - just like the frightening $cientologists.

[barbaram99]

The ladies'' dresses are all alike and from the 1800s/1900s styles they wore then. The men are in control and the ladies they do as they are told. It is not right. Yep. It is abuse. They can''t think for them selves. They are groomed for marriage and babies only. If they are under 18 than marriage and babies can wait. They are minors not adults.
America has freedom of relegion but this crosses the line. Sure they can worship as they see fit but this crosses the line as they abuse the ladies.
I was placed in a new foster home years ago when I was moved from home to home. I was 15 and the foster mother was mormon. fine. I told my social worker I did not want to go and I was told I had to . I had no say in the matter.
These ladies were/are slaves in a sense.
This is why I don''t attend chruch..They are not right. IT IS MY RIGHT TO NOT ATTEND.

[rrozsa-2009]

I consider the mere fact that every girl''s or woman''s dress has to be made from the same Butterick sewing pattern abuse in and of itself! ;-)

[barbaram99]

A cult and yet I don''t belive in their odd life sytle. I pity the children. True we have freedom of religon but not this. It is not right that the girls are groomed for this and yes it is ABUSE. They are brain washed, They need to be deprogrammed.

[mmfrgrrl]

Does no one besides me think that 12 to 15 year old girls having one or more children is abuse? Good grief! It may have been gone about the wrong way but that, my friends, where I come from is not only abuse but sick and perverted. What 12 year old is willing and elated about ***, pregnancy, giving birth and childrearing? Oh, and ''Spiritual Marriage''. What hooey. Run mitochondrial DNA to determine who mom is. Then, DNA test for the father. Will you all still screech ''unfair to the group'' when 12-year-old Jane''s baby was fathered by 35-year-old-***?

[kenhamlett]

Evidence and sworn testimony please!
We still recall the wholesale slander and abuse of their rights a few months ago. We should also recall the state holding hostages with the ransom being the surrender of the rights of these Americans. That is what I recall. Does CBS recall the same thing?
Just because some appointee issues a report does not mean it has any validity.
BTW I heard Texas had a tax surplus this year. When they get sued in a Federal court they may have a deficit next year.

[wlmrtpatriot]

I think these people have strange beliefs, but they have found no child abuse at this point. I thought people learned by the Waco Incident, that you can''t just go in and stormtroop people you don''t like.
The nutty Hoax caller hasn''t had her trial yet.
This should be done to find her reasoning on this matter.

[stevex47]

I sure wish Justice would prevail. Abused by their parents and our government.

Tragic. Contemptable.