Are polygamist wives abusers or abused?

The women of the FDLS had their children taken away from them.  Kids under four were apparently allowed to stay.  

What is the legal status of these sister wives?   Besides losing many of their children--at least temporarily, will they also be prosecuted for abetting the illegal underage marriage?  Or will they also be treated like victims and given help? 

Status of Polygamous Wives

 

While Texas courts wrangle over the legalities of custody issues for almost 500 children from a polygamist sect, the mothers of the children crusade for their childrens' return.  The children face the trauma of separation, compounded by having to endure the foster care system, a system that at its best provides loving care, at its worst, has potential for further trauma.  The recent appellate court ruling is that "right now these children are experiencing irreparable harm," although this ruling is currently being appealed to the Supreme Court of Texas.  The legal and moral conundrum is whether these children should be returned to mothers who may have been themselves victims of illegal underage marriages - and who have now perhaps taken the ironic position of enabling or promoting the same treatment for their own children.  These mothers may be incapable, psychologically and physically, of adequately protecting their own children, without resources to overcome their own underage victimization and role as enablers.  Has the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services even investigated or agressively pursued a plan that would allow  the mothers to be re-united with the children, in a physically secure location that would provide both financial and psychological support for both mothers (former victims?) and child victims or potential victims alike?  Prosecutorial zeal can create misguided results that can be expensive to taxpayers, and unwittingly create unnecessary further harms.  Despite the confidentiality requirements that are appropriate in cases involving the abuse or neglect of minors, the public has a right to know how child welfare resources are appropriated, and, the Family and Protective Services must be accountable for how it approaches such cases.Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 05/24/2008 - 23:43. 

• child abuse
 
• foster care
• polygamy