| Primer offers peek into polygamy's world |
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By Joseph M. Dougherty Deseret Morning News |
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Carolyn said she was being watched at all times, so she fled at 4 a.m. in a minivan without insurance, without a license and with only enough gas to drive three miles out of town.
She told her children they were going to get a family portrait. When her children finally figured out what was going on, one child said, "Mother is taking us to hell." That is the story of a seventh-generation polygamous wife with eight children who fled the only life she had ever known — a life of abuse, secrecy and the threat that her children could be given away to another family. Her story is just one of many that prompted the attorneys general of Utah and Arizona to create a manual to help prepare authorities to help people such as Carolyn, who seem not to fit in the system. Titled "The Primer — Helping Victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in Polygamous Communities," the guide is intended to educate police officers, social workers and others. "We have learned that some victims are not getting help because they fear that the people who are offering it don't understand them," Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said. "The primer is the beginning of what I hope will be many efforts to break down barriers." The primer's glossary includes definitions for "Creekers," "Poofers" and "Other Mother" and explains why using the word "clan" or even wearing red clothing could hinder efforts to help some victims. The primer includes, among other things, a short history of polygamy and descriptions of various groups in Utah and Arizona. Those descriptions are expected to be updated as groups' beliefs and practices change. It also includes law charts for both states. Some advice contained in the manual for those who may come in contact with fleeing members of a polygamous community includes:
Most groups have never talked to one another before, he said. At meetings where the manual was pieced together, various groups participated, and they are starting to talk and learn how to deal with the government. For example, a meeting with the Division of Child and Family Services that was attended by representatives of fundamentalist groups dealt with creating child and family teams, which are designed to help families deal with domestic violence and stave off the need to remove children from a home. Some of the best advocates for working with DCFS, Murphy said, were other fundamentalist groups that had trusted the division and come away with a positive experience. The Utah Attorney General's Office worked with the Arizona Attorney General's Office, certain nonprofit groups and various government agencies to create the primer. Hundreds of people offered input through many revisions to create the 50-page manual, Murphy said. It can be obtained at attorneygeneral.utah.gov/polygamy.html. The manual will be used in connection with the Safe Passage Program, a program funded by a $700,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant to help domestic violence victims from polygamous and rural communities in Utah and Arizona. In recent years the AG's office has stepped up its focus on crimes that happen in closed societies. No greater number of crimes happen in those societies, Murphy said. But the victims don't have the resources to get help, and often they don't trust the government enough to testify in court. The focus began when Ron Barton, one of the AG's investigators, was looking into the Tom Green case. Green had established a community in Utah's western desert. During that time, Murphy said, victims began to come forward and explain what conditions were like in certain families. Investigations since have led to some notable convictions:
Here is an excerpt from the primer's glossary, listing some of the terms that can help social workers communicate with people fleeing polygamous communities.
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deseretnews.com Originally published January 8, 2005 |
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