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Show Hingkley Journal of Politics 2005 Child Abuse in Arizona and Utah Polygamous Families: An Argument in Favor of Strict and Broad Enforcement of Punishments for Polygamy-related Grimes Against Children Carly Castle This paper argues that stories about young girls running away from the polygamous communities ofHildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, are evidence that the policies that are meant to protect children in polygamous families are not working. This paper argues that while Utah state law enforcement and child welfare agencies have the authority to adequately protect children in the polygamus communities of Colorado City and Hildale, the state's current policies do not allow agencies enough scope, range, or power to enforce the statues-and public officials face political ramifications when attempting to enact such policy. Policies in place are ill-equipped to deal with the physical isolation of Colorado City and Hildale; the closed nature of the society; the large resources required to deal with polygamy-related crimes; the power of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' leaders; and the apathy of the public in Utah and Arizona. Introduction Attention has recently been focused on polygamy with the stories of teenage girls running away from the isolated polygamous communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. Two girls, Fawn Holm and Fawn ^roadbent, have run away from their families and have refused to return for fear that they were on an "imminent bride-to-be list." Before she vanished, Fawn Holm wrote a letter saying she "was hoping that Arizona would help me. But I thought wrong.... Well, I left because all they seemed to want to do is to send us back to a prison [Colorado City]" (Adams 2004). The stories of these teenage girls highlight the fact that and Arizona law enforcement and child welfare agencies have lost control of the situation within the isolated Polygamous communities. With the evidence of abuse in isolated polygamous communities and exodus of young girls from Polygamy, it is evident that the policies regarding polygamy are not working. Since polygamy became a criminal offense °n the federal level in 1862, Utah has adopted policies that are not protecting young children-particularly young girls. This paper argues (1) that the judicial policy in this state and the rest of the country already suspends parental rights in polygamy; (2) law enforcement and child welfare agencies have sufficient authority to protect children in Hildale and Colorado City, but are not using it; (3) child abuse is rampant in isolated polygamous communities; (4) policies that are meant to protect children are ineffective when protecting children in polygamous communities; (5) the reason that public officials have been unwilling or unable to create policy that tightens state control over polygamous communities is because the ramifications would be damaging to their political future. Before these contentions can be examined, the historical context of polygamy in Utah must be noted. The LDS Church and Polygamy The Edmunds Act of 1882, like the Morrill Act of 1862, effectively made polygamy an illegal act, punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and a maximum of five years in prison (Berrett and Burton 1958, 23). Members of the Church saw the Edmunds Act as being "the work of sectarian religious bigots and political adventurers" (Berrett and Burton 1958, 67). 33 |