Polygamy Custody Fight

Many of you have either heard about or are following the case in the news about the polygamous sect in Texas. Authorities removed 416 children from the church’s compound in Eldorado, Texas. Police raided the compound after receiving a call from someone who claimed to be 16 years old girl inside the FLDS ranch. The caller described being forced into a “spiritual marriage” with an older man. She told police that the man abused her physically and sexually.

Texas Child Protective Services are scrambling to identify the children’s parents. DNA tests have been ordered to help match the children to the parents. Recently the mothers of the removed children held interviews with the media. They continued to plead to the government to return their children. Interestingly the women refused to answer some questions including the number of wives their husbands may have. The women reminded me of the wives from the movie “The Stepford Wives”. They all seem to be robotic in their responses to questions being asked of them.

Now I don’t personally agree with the polygamist lifestyle but if these people want to practice it, that none of my business. However with allegations that underage children are being forced into marriages, that’s when religious freedom has gone too far. We all have the right to practice any religion we want, but the practice of that religion can not and should violate the law. I don’t know if these allegations are true are not, but I have to say that I’m getting a not so good feeling about this case.

Whether or not the allegations are true, how much evidence should the government have before they are allowed to take your child?

In this particular case, a phone call from 16 year old led to the raid on the compound.

Should a phone call be enough justification to remove children from their parents? I would think it depends on the circumstances. I think given the nature of the allegations, the location of the ranch and how closed off this community is from the rest of the world, I can understand that authorities feared that the children were in immediate danger.

So what happens if it turns out that the 16 year old girl doesn’t exist? Does the state’s investigation continue? Would the courts return the children? There are a lot of legal issues at play here, none of which are likely to be solved anytime soon.

I think any allegation of child abuse should be thoroughly investigated. I think that a child should be removed if there is evidence that would suggest that they would be in danger. It should take an extraordinary situation to remove a child before an investigation is conducted. This was just such a situation that required the removal of those children. For now the courts have ruled the children remain in the state’s custody.