What’s Next for the Children of Texas Polygamist Sect?

By Anastacia Mott Austin

More than 400 children were removed from a 1,700 acre Texas compound housing a polygamist sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) this week, along with 135 of their mothers who chose voluntarily to go with them.

The compound is the same one formerly headed by Warren Jeffs, who remains jailed in Arizona awaiting charges of incest and sexual abuse of a minor. Jeffs was also convicted in November in Utah for being the accomplice to the rape of a minor, after he arranged the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her older cousin.

The raid was prompted by a phone call from a 16-year-old girl to the Texas authorities, saying she had been raped and abused by her 50-year-old husband. The girl had an eight-month-old baby and said she suspected she was pregnant again.

Authorities say they had just cause to raid the entire compound and take custody of all of the children they found there, based on the girl’s statements and evidence they say they found at the compound. Officials state that all of the children were in "imminent danger" of abuse.

The girl allegedly told authorities she had made the call because she wanted to spare her younger sister from the same fate.

The girl has not been identified, and indeed authorities don’t even know if she is one of the 416 children they have in custody.

All of the children taken are in the custody of the state of Texas. But the logistics are daunting, to say the least. Where does the state put 400 kids? The children and the group of mothers are currently being housed at a converted historical fort, about 45 miles away from the compound. Only 18 of the children have been officially mandated to state custody, with the remainder awaiting the decision of a judge who will rule on the case on April 17th. Calls for pro bono attorneys to represent the children are going out in the Texas area where they are being held.

Since the children are largely not speaking to authorities, having been trained from young childhood to be fearful and suspicious of outsiders, social workers are having a hard time getting any statements from them, either confirming or denying the allegations of abuse.

There are some concerns about the children’s health, as 12 of them have come down with chicken pox. The fear is that since the group is likely not vaccinated against any childhood diseases, they’ll face an increased risk of infection in the outside world. However, health experts note that the incubation for chicken pox is 10-20 days, so they would have gotten infected in their home environment before the raid took place. In addition, some of the children have proven to be immune to chicken pox, indicating that prior exposure to the disease had occurred.

Aside from their health issues, there is the matter of how these children will adjust to a radically different way of life, should they not be returned to their families at the compound.

Representatives from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spoke to the press about the case. Marleigh Meisner, from the department, said that the families involved are essentially on hold until the judge rules on April 17th. At that time, some or all of the children could potentially be returned to the compound, or they could be released with their mothers who voluntarily came with them, or they may be taken into permanent custody of the state. In addition, the mothers, as well as any fathers who can be identified, may face charges that they either neglected their children or contributed to their abuse.

While reaction from the public has been primarily positive about the children’s removal, some have complained that there was not enough cause to remove all 400 children from the only life they’ve ever known. Three mothers who were not present at the time of the raid and have remained at the compound say that their children were kidnapped from them against their will, and that they are not allowed to contact their children who are in custody.

Meisner confirms that they are not allowing the contact. "It is difficult to determine who these mothers are, the ones who are here and ones who may not be," said Meisner to reporters. "We are not going to permit any alleged mothers in."

But the mothers who remain at the compound are outraged. "My children were kidnapped for no reason. They are being held hostage," said one of mothers. She added, "I didn't know where they were taken and when I finally found out, they won't let me see them. They won't let them talk to me or let me see them. It’s outrageous this is happening in America."

But until everything is sorted out and any charges against the parents are decided, Meisner says the decision to not allow contact between sect members and the children is for their own safety.

Regardless of the outcome, the reality of having more than 400 children suddenly placed in stated custody amounts to a logistical nightmare. And the fates of those children remain up in the air. Not only will it be a daunting task to make sure they are all represented legally, and that the health care of so many children is ensured, but what of their emotional health? Their fates, especially those of the girls, remain uncertain at best should they be returned to the FLDS sect compound. Yet to be removed from a way of life most in the outside world cannot relate to, from their families and the only life they have ever known, promises an uncertain future as well.

The Family and Protective Services of Texas certainly have their hands full, as they are faced with not only the uncertain lives of 400 children, but more questions at this point than they have answers.