Justice center opens in polygamist town

In a community rocked by persistent and ongoing allegations of sexual abuse, welfare fraud and forced marriages, suddenly there is a new force in town. This week, the state of Arizona and Mojave County opened a new justice center in the border straddling polygamist town of Colorado City.

The polygamist enclave has long been isolated by geography and hostile to outsiders, but Monday a new justice center opened its doors. The building will be used by Child Protective Services, the Arizona Attorney Generals Office, the Mojave County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mojave County Attorney’s Office.

Officials say they hope the new facility will serve victims who, in the past, have had nowhere to turn in Colorado City. Over the years, critics have complained bitterly that women and young girls trying to escape forced marriages and the polygamist lifestyle have had no where to go because almost all of the police officers in the community are members of the polygamist religion – the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

County and state leaders also hope the justice center will open channels of communication throughout the community. And while some anti-polygamy activists say the center is a good first step, others say the people who need it the most — women and young girls — will avoid the center like the plague. Sources say that faithful members of the FLDS church have already been warned to steer clear of the facility.

Read Another Article

Polygamist Sentenced to Public Service
Dagga plan up in smoke?

Related News Articles Topic(s): Polygamy Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Polygamy Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog