| Report examines high teen birth rate at B.C. religious commune | |
|
By Dirk Meissner Canadian Press Vancouver Sun | |
VICTORIA -- The higher than normal numbers of teen births occurring at the polygamous commune of Bountiful in southeastern B.C. concerns the government and the RCMP, two cabinet ministers said Wednesday. But so far police and government investigations have yet to find any health or criminal issues at Bountiful, a religious commune of about 1,000 people located minutes from the Kootenay community of Creston near the B.C.-Idaho border. "We have a generalized concern about that," said Health Minister George Abbott about an internal report from his ministry that found the number of teen births in the Creston area is higher than expected. Attorney General Wally Oppal said the RCMP have been conducting ongoing investigations at Bountiful involving allegations that women and children in plural families in Bountiful are being abused, but nobody has come forward with evidence. "What happens is the investigation starts and then it comes to a grinding halt because we're not getting any co-operation," he said. "Then we prevail upon the police to see if they can conduct a further investigation and then they go out and the trail gets hot and it gets cold. That's what happens," said Oppal, who plans to meet with the Mounties next week about Bountiful. Winston Blackmore, one of the spiritual leaders at Bountiful who is said to have numerous wives and dozens of children, could not be reached for comment. The residents of Bountiful are members of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headquartered in the towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. The church teaches plural marriage is essential if its members are to be glorified in heaven. In 1947, four families from the church settled near Creston, forming the nucleus of the Bountiful commune. Local provincial politicians say they've been hearing complaints from constituents concerned about the quality of life among Bountiful residents, especially its women and children. The internal Health Ministry report examined teen birth rates in the Creston area, including Bountiful, from 1986 to 2004. The report found there were 181 births by teen mothers during that period. The expected number of births by teen mothers was 76. It said 69 of the 181 teen mother births were linked to Bountiful. The 69 births account for 38 per cent of all births to mothers aged 14 to 18 in the Creston area. "This high rate of births to teen mothers can be attributed to the inclusion of the Bountiful community within the Creston (area)," the report said. "A large portion of the births are to teen mothers who are members of the Bountiful community." The report found many of the fathers of the Bountiful children are older than the mothers. Of the 69 births, almost 50 per cent of the fathers are five years or more older than the mothers and 28 per cent are 10 or more years older than the mothers. The report says the Ministry of Children and Family Development has been attempting to monitor Bountiful for child protection issues, but has had difficulties because it's tough to get information from residents. Oppal met with Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff late last year in Vancouver to share strategies on polygamy. 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. Local Kootenay area MLA Bill Bennett has been invited to visit Bountiful and plans to accept the invitation this spring. | |
|
canada.com Originally published March 8, 2006 | |
| Back | |
| For more information email: | |
