Here's What's Hot On CBS11TV.COM:
Jun 3, 2008 4:40 pm US/Central
Polygamist Sect Families Continue To Reunite
Seema Mathur
San Angelo (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Members of a polygamist sect were fanned out across Texas on Tuesday. The parents set out to different locations to pick up their children from foster care. The children were removed from an Eldorado polygamist ranch two months ago.
Several families arrived at the Catholic Charities in Fort Worth to be reunited with their children. By the end of the day, state officials say most of the children, taken from the Yearning for Zion Ranch, will be back with their families.
It's been months since the children were taken away from their isolated compound. The children were in Child Protective Services custody while investigators looked into accusations that underage girls were being forced to marry.
While a judge ordered that the children be returned to their parents, child welfare officials say the case is far from closed. "It's a pretty broad court order but we certainly will be looking at each case individually," said Marleigh Meisner with Texas Child Protective Services.
The court order returned children to their parents but came with restrictions. Parents can't leave the state, they're required to attend parenting classes and they have to allow the children to be examined as part of any abuse investigation.
Sect elders say they object to the court's restrictions and continue to deny that they forced anyone into marriage. But the leaders have promised that from this point forward they will not allow members to be married until they've reached of legal age.
The sect is a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon Church and believes polygamy brings glorification in heaven.
Many families will be returning to the Zion ranch to continue their way of life… but they'll be living under scrutiny. Some members are choosing not to go back to the compound and are setting up house in the world outside the ranch.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Hollywood Hair
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
