Polygamy case: Warren Jeff's 16 yr. old daughter is a victim of sexual abuse

[pnwmom]

according to her attorney, who asked on her behalf for a separate emergency stay of the order releasing the FLDS back to their parents.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/jun/02/flds-children-heading-home-today/

Mothers of the roughly 450 children taken from the polygamist sect's YFZ Ranch can now begin retrieving their children from shelters across the state, as an order signed this morning by 51st District Judge Barbara Walther went into effect at 10 a.m.

Walther also today granted an emergency stay of that order in the case of one child, a 16-year-old daughter of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, while attorneys hammer out a separate agreement in her case. The girl's attorney, Natalie Malonis, said in court filings her client is "an identified victim of sexual abuse."

SNIP

In the case of the 16-year-old girl, Malonis said she is seeking a tighter geographical restriction and wants to prohibit contact with certain people, including her father, Jeffs.

The girl is not known to be a mother, Malonis said, and declined further comment about why she is believed to be an abuse victim.

"The order that the judge entered is very broad, and there are greater restrictions we want," Malonis said, adding that she is close to an agreement with CPS, but that the day's events forced her to request a stay in the interest of her client. "I didn't know the judge was going to issue the order first thing this morning."

[slackmaster]

1. Well, there's a real shocker!

:eyes:

[uppityperson]

9. Makes me wonder who talked, or what the evidence was, by whom.

Wonder if a daughter of W.Jeffs would speak out against statutory rape?

[liberaldem4ever]

2. I can't believe the state of Texas has done this

I feel so sorry for these children having to go back to a life where grown men can "marry" little girls and that's acceptable. :cry:

[sui generis]

3. CPS is out of control

Erring on the side of caution is no excuse for incompetence, and they have done some flat out evil shit in Texas.

Add to that they have WAY WAY WAY too much crossover into adoptive families, as if it's justifiable in any way to give adoptive parents 10000% more invasive scrutiny than the inbred slack jawed yokels who keep rubbin pink parts and poppin' 'em out.

[roguevalley]

6. that may be true but it doesn't negate the responsibility to protect

these children. too bad. more abuse sanctioned by the state.

[sui generis]

7. well, CPS has a duty to ensure that it is acting rationally

or it loses credibility.

The boys were never in any danger of diddlage. Most of the mothers were married of age.

Certainly there was abuse, and worse, the idea that a child raised in a culturally restrictive society has fewer rights to attempt to leave those cultural restrictions with the assistance of the state than their parents have to imprison them and induct them into this dogma.

Oh, but I could as easily be talking about many southern baptists and Fred Phelps.

CPS is LAZY and inappropriate. They could as easily have done a real investigation before they pulled the trigger, using writs and warrants to establish evidence first, but they, like the TABC and ATF and even INS love to go throw their stinky pricks around. Like every other government agency they have to "use or lose" their budget.

If they can't justify what they do with real catches, they make shit up. Incidentally that is also why it is now "terroristic activity" to rob a store, rather than just a crime, and why arguing with an airport official, or even just making a face at one is a capital crime subject to federal prosecution.

Can't find any terrorists? Make them up. Need to justify your staff? Pull of a high visibility high emotion raid and Save the Churren.

My ex of many years ago was an MSSW and I accompanied him on occasion and helped take care of his interface with various state agencies. CPS is slime. There is no other word for it. I feel bad in that blanket opinion because there are some real people there who work hard to prevent real horror, and to prevent becoming numb to it. No doubt there are good people there, like there are good cops, good LDS people and good southern babtists, but the people making and enforcing the blanket rules, including that freep of a judge Walthers are slime and are doing it for entirely the wrong reasons.

[pnwmom]

11. The situation was far more complicated than you are making it appear.

For one thing, the people at the ranch were deliberately obstructing the CPS people by refusing to name themselves, their partners, or their children -- and they were instructing their children not to cooperate. How do you do an investigation on-site under those circumstances?

[sui generis]

12. As I would. There is a presumption of global guilt here

that has no place in a fair prosecution of either the warrant or the removal of the children.

I know that this was not the best way to go after these people. I'm not being naive so much as cynical.

Nonetheless, this is the way the law works:

1. you have evidence or an accusation of misconduct
2. you investigate to find supporting evidence
3. you determine culpability of the parties involved
4. if sufficient evidence exists you prosecute the parties involved based on their level of culpability

Taking the boys away - what did that serve? Again, I am not defending them either. I strongly believe that the practice of religion should never trump the practice of civil rights, including the right to be free from religion.

A court order could as easily have been given FIRST requiring DNA testing, and all the stonewalling in the world couldn't refute that.

Finally though, if a 13 year old girl accuses her culture of marrying 13 year old girls and we know they don't marry earlier, then it is actually reasonable to assume that children much younger than 13 years old are in no "danger" at all.

This is Texas overreacting. I suspect the irrational thought was "if we raid them and they hole up like Jim Jones or Waco, at least we'll save the kids". The rational thought would be, Waco was stockpiling assault weaponry. Jim Jones was ex juris, until they killed a U.S. senator.

There is nothing at all in this group that indicated violence or reprisal, as was made quite evident in both the original raid and the interim. So if the problem is that they are marrying younger than the law allows, but not baby diddling, then the two "dangers" are not related.

Finally, there is also clear evidence that some community members broke no laws at all. Why should they be punished? If association is a good enough reason then I'm happy to round up the pagans for causing the jews, the jews for causing the catholics, the catholics for causing the protestants and the protestants for causing Jim Jones, Waco, and good Reverend Phelps, and all of them for causing me.

Oh crap there wouldn't be anyone left. :evilgrin:

:hi:

[Wizard777]

4. If the girl is claiming sexual abuse then she does need to remain in custody.

No doubt about that. It's one thing for CPS to claim they are abused. But when the kids themselves say they are abused. You have to listen to that and give it credence.

[fascisthunter]

5. Disgusting.....

Sorry kid... cults seem to have the law in their back pocket..... their "out": "It's a religion".

[mzmolly]

8. Glad to see they are weighing these cases individually.

It's a complex situation and I don't think there are any one size fits all answers, unfortunately. :(

[seabeyond]

10. but it is these assholes fuckin consititutional right to rape our children so men tell me

they are pond scum at the very worst..... soulless filth