REACT: El Dorado Raid
Stephanie Granados
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Features
Late last month, the NewBridge Family Shelter received calls from a 16-year-old girl named "Sarah." In these calls, she claimed to be in an abusive marriage with "Dale," 50, who fathered her child last year and has multiple wives.
In response to these calls, authorities entered the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' Yearning for Zion Ranch (YFZ) in El Dorado, Texas on April 3. Within days all 416 children aged six months to 17 had been removed from the compound and placed in state custody. Women were also taken from the compound. In total, 500+ women and children were bused away from the YFZ compound.
On April 18, Judge Walther ordered a DNA test on all children and adults in an attempt to establish family relationships. The children are also to remain in protective custody, and will be given individual hearings to ascertain whether they will be able to return to their parents and the YFZ Ranch.
The children, while in perfect health as far as officials have been able to determine thus far, had never seen toys. Nor had they ever been allowed to laugh louder than a chuckle. Their schooling is significantly deficient. Not to mention that girls are married off at young ages into conjugal marriages with much older men.
Now, authorities believe that there was never a "Sarah" or "Dale." Instead they believe that Rozita Swinton, 33, of Colorado made the calls. A search of her home turned up evidence of a connection to a similar FLDS raid in Colorado City, AZ, as well as the one in El Dorado. This new twist will not have an affect on the child custody case.
Do you believe that these children were being abused? Was the raid justified? Lastly, in a country that prides itself on freedom of religion, did the government go too far?
In response to these calls, authorities entered the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' Yearning for Zion Ranch (YFZ) in El Dorado, Texas on April 3. Within days all 416 children aged six months to 17 had been removed from the compound and placed in state custody. Women were also taken from the compound. In total, 500+ women and children were bused away from the YFZ compound.
On April 18, Judge Walther ordered a DNA test on all children and adults in an attempt to establish family relationships. The children are also to remain in protective custody, and will be given individual hearings to ascertain whether they will be able to return to their parents and the YFZ Ranch.
The children, while in perfect health as far as officials have been able to determine thus far, had never seen toys. Nor had they ever been allowed to laugh louder than a chuckle. Their schooling is significantly deficient. Not to mention that girls are married off at young ages into conjugal marriages with much older men.
Now, authorities believe that there was never a "Sarah" or "Dale." Instead they believe that Rozita Swinton, 33, of Colorado made the calls. A search of her home turned up evidence of a connection to a similar FLDS raid in Colorado City, AZ, as well as the one in El Dorado. This new twist will not have an affect on the child custody case.
Do you believe that these children were being abused? Was the raid justified? Lastly, in a country that prides itself on freedom of religion, did the government go too far?
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Courtney
posted 4/22/08 @ 8:22 PM CST
Thank goodness they were rescued.
Chris Nystrom
posted 4/29/08 @ 12:57 PM CST
I think the lack of toys is a poor excuse for genocide based on a false testimony. People should be free to not give their children toys if they want to. (Continued…)
Rene
posted 5/08/08 @ 9:16 PM CST
I personally do not support the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, however, weighing in the facts i do believe that the government did go too far. (Continued…)
Lindsay
posted 7/01/08 @ 1:52 PM CST
Yes they were abused most if not all of them, the girls and the boys alike. The men in this CULT (which is what it is, I'm sure all of you will agree with me on this) just want control, sexual, physical and every other way imaginable but the cases will never go anywhere because the kids are trained not to tell the truth to the very people that could help them, they have been brainwashed and are raised to be racist and highly sexist. (Continued…)
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