31 of 53 teen girls at FLDS ranch are pregnant or had baby

[Gunny]

Of 53 girls ages 14-17, 31 have children or are pregnant, Texas officials say

Associated Press
updated 4:40 p.m. CT, Mon., April. 28, 2008
SAN ANTONIO - More than half the teen girls taken from a polygamist compound in west Texas have children or are pregnant, state officials said Monday.

A total of 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 are in state custody after a raid 3 1/2 weeks ago at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. Of those girls, 31 either have children or are pregnant, said Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar. Two of those are pregnant now, he said; it was unclear whether either of those two already have children.

"It shows you a pretty distinct pattern, that it was pretty pervasive," he said.

State officials took custody of all 463 children at the ranch controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, saying a pattern of teen girls forced into underage "spiritual" marriages and sex with much older men created an unsafe environment for the sect's children.

Under Texas law, children under the age of 17 generally cannot consent to sex with an adult. A girl can get married with parental permission at 16, but none of these girls is believed to have a legal marriage under state law.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24356447/

I posted this at the end of the other thread, but I think it needs it own space. 31 of 53 CHILDREN are or have been pregnant. Damn the State of Texas for stepping in ....

 

[Care4all]

I absolutely do not see how ANYONE on this site can support allowing this kind of behavior to go on in the guise of some religion?

They also said on the news that girls were 3 to one there....what were they talking about, do ya know? what happens to the boys? are they sent away once old enough so that these men can have all the young women?

THIS IS A CULT.....and a harmful one....not to outsiders, but most certainly to the children within it imho.

 

[Gunny]

I absolutely do not see how ANYONE on this site can support allowing this kind of behavior to go on in the guise of some religion?

They also said on the news that girls were 3 to one there....what were they talking about, do ya know? what happens to the boys? are they sent away once old enough so that these men can have all the young women?

THIS IS A CULT.....and a harmful one....not to outsiders, but most certainly to the children within it imho.

I heard it mentioned that males are given the boot once they are old enough to compete with the older men for the affections of the ladies.

Also, as I mentioned in the other thread (this is going to get confusing -- two threads same conversations) I think using Christ's name to cloak having sex with minors violates at least one and probably two of Christ's teachings. This group can call itself what it wants,

Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/Mat/Mat018.html

IMO, this rebukes their claim.

 

[dread]

I absolutely do not see how ANYONE on this site can support allowing this kind of behavior to go on in the guise of some religion?

They also said on the news that girls were 3 to one there....what were they talking about, do ya know? what happens to the boys? are they sent away once old enough so that these men can have all the young women?

THIS IS A CULT.....and a harmful one....not to outsiders, but most certainly to the children within it imho.

I dont know about it not being harmful to outsiders...This whole system of raping little girls in the name of God makes me personally want to puke.

 

[Gunny]

I dont know about it not being harmful to outsiders...This whole system of raping little girls in the name of God makes me personally want to puke.

Being a Christian, I can't say it does a whole for me since these people attempt to equate their lifestyle with my religion. As I pointed out in my previous post, their actions directly contradict Christ's words, so call them what you will, but their actions were anything BUT Christian.

 

[Shogun]

SAN ANTONIO - More than half the teen girls taken from a polygamist compound in west Texas have children or are pregnant, state officials said Monday.

A total of 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 are in state custody after a raid 3 1/2 weeks ago at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. Of those girls, 31 either have children or are pregnant, said Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar. Two of those are pregnant now, he said; it was unclear whether either of those two already have children.

"It shows you a pretty distinct pattern, that it was pretty pervasive," he said.

State officials took custody of all 463 children at the ranch controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, saying a pattern of teen girls forced into underage "spiritual" marriages and sex with much older men created an unsafe environment for the sect's children.

Under Texas law, children under the age of 17 generally cannot consent to sex with an adult. A girl can get married with parental permission at 16, but none of these girls is believed to have a legal marriage under state law.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080428/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_retreat

 

[AllieBaba]

This was already posted.

Makes you feel sort of warm and fuzzy that the police can wade into any home with underage pregnant girls, yank the girls, all the kids, and start giving gynocological exams, doesn't it?

 

[Ravi]

Yeah, the cops should have just prayed that the pedophiles would come to their senses.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Just heard on local news here that several of the children had been abused, broken bones, bruises. It is the state's duty to protect all citizens and I think they did the right thing by protecting the children.

 

[Gungnir]

Did anyone think this was bungled? They are having to do DNA test to find the family structure!

If these children are being put out into foster homes their lives are about to be shattered by huge disillusionment. Hopefully they aren't sent to Public Schools right away. They are going to need time to adapt to culture outside of the Jeffs' Religion.

 

[AllieBaba]

41 out of 400. I wonder what the stats are for regular kids?
And they say they "may" have had broken bones, but haven't taken any x-rays yet.

My boy broke all four bones in both of his arms in two separate events when he was 11. The weekend the cast came off for one arm, he broke the other one.

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

41 out of 400.

Of the female children between 14-17 close to 60% wer either pregnant or already had children, some had several.

SAN ANTONIO - More than half the teen girls taken from a polygamist compound in west Texas have children or are pregnant, state officials said Monday.

A total of 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 are in state custody after a raid 3 1/2 weeks ago at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. Of those girls, 31 either have children or are pregnant, said Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar. Two of those are pregnant now, he said; it was unclear whether either of those two already have children.

"It shows you a pretty distinct pattern, that it was pretty pervasive," he said.

State officials took custody of all 463 children at the ranch controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, saying a pattern of teen girls forced into underage "spiritual" marriages and sex with much older men created an unsafe environment for the sect's children.

Under Texas law, children under the age of 17 generally cannot consent to sex with an adult. A girl can get married with parental permission at 16, but none of these girls is believed to have a legal marriage under state law.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080428/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_retreat

31 out of 53 is 58.5%

These people don't have any problem getting welfare to support the children of their cult, so they might as well get that the are obligated to accept state oversight!


If they had stuck to adults, and not been taking state money then they likely would not have ever been bothered.

 

[mattskramer]

This was already posted.

Makes you feel sort of warm and fuzzy that the police can wade into any home with underage pregnant girls, yank the girls, all the kids, and start giving gynocological exams, doesn't it?

Two words that make a powerful phrase:

Reasonable suspicion

 

[midcan5]

Some only complain because it is the "State" doing this action in America, in Iraq or Africa the rights of people don't matter quite as much. Curious how we can place things in boxes and think differently of the each.

 

[AllieBaba]

Two words that make a powerful phrase:

Reasonable suspicion

Once again.
If the state is taking custody of girls who are underaged and pregnant, they should also take into custody a huge percentage of their clientele, who apply for foodstamps and medical EVERY DAY. But those girls get a pass. It doesn't matter where they're living or who with. I know families with 3 girls who all got pregnant when they were 14. I know of a family now where the girl is going to high school and has three children, and lives rent free in a trailer her father provides.
Her boyfriend is older and works.

Nobody's telling me I should be investigating that situation. Know why? Because they aren't fundamentalists.

 

[Larkinn]

Once again.
If the state is taking custody of girls who are underaged and pregnant, they should also take into custody a huge percentage of their clientele, who apply for foodstamps and medical EVERY DAY.

They are in communities where almost 60% of the girls aged 14-17 are pregnant?

 

[AllieBaba]

They are in FAMILIES where 100 percent of the girls get pregnant by the age of 14.

 

[jillian]

They are in communities where almost 60% of the girls aged 14-17 are pregnant?

she also conveniently left out the part that it's by rape by men more than twice their age.

but that's irrelevant

she confuses issues a lot.

 

[Larkinn]

They are in FAMILIES where 100 percent of the girls get pregnant by the age of 14.

Which is completely legal if its done by other minors.

Its NOT legal if its done by adults.

 

[AllieBaba]

Not minors.
It never is. These girls almost always are impregnated by adults.
The state knows it. We have a "don't ask" policy. Just as abortion clinics do.
Which is proof in the pudding that this whole FLDS thing is a crock. The same people who are harassing them now absolutely don't pursue this sort of behavior as "evidence" of child abuse when any of their other clients engage in it.