Posts
Last June, Teressa Wall Blackmore took her three children, abandoned the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) colony at Bountiful, BC, and moved to Payette, Idaho. Her husband Roy Blackmore sued for custody. BC Supreme Court Justice T.J. Melnick earlier this week awarded Ms Blackmore sole interim custody of the children, two daughters age 8 and 5, and a boy age 7.
The marriage of Roy and Teressa Blackmore was by all accounts monogamous. Mr Blackmore claimed that the church’s marital practice is not connected with his estranged wife's desertion, which would otherwise be clear and sufficient grounds to deny custody. Yet , Mr Justice Melnick was unable to ignore the fact that Bountiful is a polygamist community.
[W]hatever Mr. Blackmore may argue about the FLDS Church being irrelevant to this application, it is an elephant in the corner of the room of this proceeding that inevitably casts a shadow over it.
The written ruling quotes s. 293(1) of Canada’s Criminal Code, the section outlawing polygamy.
This decision should be an obvious wake-up call to British Columbia politicians, law enforcement authorities, and child protection agencies.
Politicians in British Columbia may be afraid to tackle the polygamous community of Bountiful, but a Supreme Court judge didn't shy away from repeating the obvious this week.
Polygamy is illegal and it may not be in childrens' best interests to be raised within a polygamous society.
. . .
Even though the Blackmores' marriage was monogamous, the judge recognized that if the children were raised by their father, they would be constantly exposed to the FLDS belief that polygamy is essential to reach the highest realm of heaven whether within their extended family, in the community, at church, and at the government-funded Bountiful elementary-secondary school, which last year received nearly $640,000 in grants.
Ms Blackmore believes that Bountiful FLDS leaders pressured her estranged husband to sue for custody after she testified against Warren Jeffs in the trial that resulted in his conviction on rape charges.
Will BC Attorney General Wally Oppal get off his duff now? Is the BC Child Protection Branch finally going to do something to protect the children of Bountiful?
BC’s Ministry of Children and Family Development has been aware of Bountiful for years but failed to look after its women and children. A search of the department’s website turned up a telling document dated May 2006: "Director’s Case Practice Audit Report, Interior Region, Creston Children and Family Services". (Creston is adjacent to Bountiful.)
From pages 5-6 of the pdf document:
The team leader at Creston is currently working with community partners and the Community Services Manager on a proposal for developing services for the women and children of "Bountiful". Bountiful is an isolated religious sect that has often been of interest to the media. There is concern by some members of the Creston community about the safety and well being of the children and the women of Bountiful. This venture of developing services is in its beginning stages.
"Bountiful . . . has often been of interest to the media", but of little interest to the ministry. Those pesky media are always sensationalising stuff, anyway.
I also notice that the audit report mentions neither the reason for "media" interest nor the distinctive practices of the sect. Finally, I can find nothing at the ministry’s website indicating whether the "venture of developing services" ever moved beyond "its beginning stages".
h/t: Religion News Blog
- Are monogamy and democracy linked?
- BC will not charge polygamists with sexual abuse
- Poll shows overwhelming support for enforcing Canada’s polygamy law
- BC attorney-general says he’s “not ignoring” polygamy at Bountiful
- International human rights law obligates Canada to eliminate polygamy
- BC polygamists send kids to public schools
