B.C., Utah politicians discuss strategies to investigate polygamists
 
By Amy Carmichael
Macleans Magazine - Toronto, Ontario
 
VANCOUVER (CP) - A meeting between British Columbia's and Utah's attorneys general on allegations of sex abuse in polygamous communities took a surprise twist Thursday when plural wives showed up concerned that their right to religious freedom might be trampled.

Ruth Lane and Leah Barlow travelled from Bountiful, B.C., to stand up for their community and deny claims of abuse, but they also said they want to work with the government to create culturally sensitive counselling and services for people living in polygamy.

"I am not abused and I don't personally known of anyone who is," said Lane.

They showed up with one of Bountiful's spiritual leaders, Winston Blackmore, to hear B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal and his Utah counterpart report on shared strategies on polygamy.

Utah's Mark Shurtleff said his state has done a lot of work to make women in the secretive, closed communities feel safe enough to come forward and give testimony.

Oppal said that's something that B.C. has to do as well, considering allegations that women and children in plural families in Bountiful are being abused.

"I think we can exchange ideas and look to see what the police and prosecutors in Utah have done with respect to obtaining evidence. It may be that evidence could pertain to offences that happened here," said Oppal at a news conference after the meeting.

Shurtleff said B.C. and Utah have to work together to make progress on what he called "the most difficult kind of investigation you'll ever do."

Polygamy has been openly practised for more than 60 years in the fundamentalist Mormon community of 1,000 people in Bountiful in southeastern B.C.

More than a year ago, the provincial government announced the start of an RCMP investigation into allegations of child abuse, forcible marriage and sexual exploitation. No charges have ever been laid.

Thursday marked the third time in the past year that women faithful to Blackmore have stood up to say they are happy living in polygamous relationships and they are doing so of their own free will. In April, some of the women held a public meeting in Creston, B.C., to discuss their lives.

The group is split off from others in Bountiful who follow Warren Jeffs, a fugitive in the United States who is charged with performing marriages involving minors and other crimes. His followers rarely speak publicly.

Blackmore said Bountiful's local women's group is already active and educating people about issues like domestic abuse.

Shurtleff said police haven't been able to infiltrate the closed polygamous communities.

"You really have to rely on victims who are willing to come forward," he said.

"But we're talking about women who from the cradle, she's been taught to distrust us, we're evil, we're Satan."

In Utah, he said the government is trying to build bridges with polygamist communities.

"What we've done is created a safety net, working with groups that are out there and make sure services are in place and that the women know about them," he added.

"A woman may want to give us testimony but if she doesn't have an education, which she's been denied; she doesn't have job skills, which she's been denied; doesn't own a home and has children, her first question is 'How am I going to protect and feed my children.' "

Oppal said B.C. needs to do the same work.

Utah has also gone after polygamists on the civil front, seizing the assets of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Its religious practice requires that all property be owned by the church and held in trust by Jeffs.

Shurtleff said the Utah government was able to prove in court that Jeffs had violated his trust to the people of the communities and, as a result, lost his financial control.

"The property in B.C. amounts to a value of several millions of dollars. Jeffs can't come up here and sell property or transfer property to his loyal lieutenants as he's been doing," he said.

"We've been talking about some kind of memorandum of understanding around what we would do if that happens and how we bring these people to justice if that happens."

He said Jeffs could be hiding out in Bountiful and if he's caught in Canada both Utah and B.C. will have to work together.

Jeffs is wanted by the FBI on three charges of sexual conduct with a minor in connection with his role performing marriages between allegedly underage girls and older men. He also is charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Oppal said the RCMP investigation continues but, so far, no victims have come forward.

He said he also spoke to Shurtleff about allegations that young girls are being trafficked to polygamous communities in the United States and being married to older men, another area where Shurtleff said the two jurisdictions should be working together.

Blackmore, Lane and Barlow didn't confront Oppal or Shurtleff after their meeting, but later spoke to reporters.

Lane and Barlow, who are in their early 30s, said they want to work with the government to create a counselling program in Bountiful.

"Like Mark Shurtleff said, people seldom refuse help if it's given in the right way," said Barlow.

"I just feel like Ruth and I could be there as a liaison to help it come in a proper way for us to be able to utilize it, in a culturally sensitive way."

Lane said the women in Bountiful also want improvements to their community.

"We've got definite concerns about building our school system. We need a library, we need children's equipment, we need access to counselling," said Lane.

"We've also got valid concerns about women's issues, we're concerned that our rights of freedom of religion are not trampled on."

Blackmore said he told the police long ago that he would report abuse if someone told him about it, adding he hasn't ordered anyone to stay quiet.

"I have no interest in being the conscience and the mind and the will of a whole bunch of people," he said.

It has been alleged that Bountiful girls in their early teens are married to older men who have multiple wives, but Blackmore maintained that he hasn't performed any marriages involving anyone under 18 in the past six months.
 
macleans.ca
Originally published December 8, 2005
 
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