ST. GEORGE — More than 55 women and their teenage daughters who are living in plural families showed up Friday at the state's first "polygamy summit" with one goal in mind: to plead for the right to live as they choose without fear of prosecution.
"We who live in that community out there do not want child abuse, uneducated children or welfare abuses," said Linda, a Centennial Park, Ariz., teacher in the Colorado City Unified School District who did not want to give her last name. "If this is honestly not about religion and you're not trying to squelch us off the earth, the best way to do that is to do away with the law that prohibits us from living our religion."
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who spearheaded the summit, said the packed four-hour agenda was just the beginning of a statewide effort to provide help for those who want out of abusive polygamous lifestyles.
"We want to know what is and isn't being provided, where it is, and what we need to do next," Shurtleff told several hundred people during the opening segment of the summit. "We want to build a safety net for children." Among the topics discussed at the two invitation-only breakout sessions attended by law enforcement, attorneys, social service workers, educators and elected officials were welfare fraud, lack of educational opportunities, public-safety concerns, domestic violence and underage brides.
"You say you don't want underage marriages performed or for them to occur," Shurtleff told Linda. "We need you to come forward and give us the evidence if you do see them occur. We just have a disagreement on what's lawful and unlawful. We're here to get your assistance and would like that."
Those in support of polygamy voiced a common fear that helping prosecutors from Utah and Arizona would only bring heartache and ruin to their families and communities.
"We just want to know that we feel safe in doing that," said Linda, as women around her nodded their heads. Polygamists living in Centennial Park do not belong to the more strict fundamentalist movement headed by Warren Jeffs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, although they believe many of the same doctrines, including polygamy.
Salt Lake City attorney Rod Parker, who has represented the FLDS Church for 12 years and defended recently convicted bigamist Rodney Holm, said the summit would do little to solve problems since it did not include representatives from the target population.
The fact that polygamists were not invited, although they were welcome as interested members of the public, jarred some people.
"I don't think it's a good idea to get up here and make laws against polygamy without polygamists," said Sandra, a plural wife who did not want to give her last name. "It's going to take laws that we can abide with that don't offend you and don't offend us."
Mary Bachelor, a northern Utahn who said she believes in plural marriage but isn't part of one at this time, said there was no reason why she should be classified as different because she embraces different beliefs.
Bob Curran, director of Help the Child Brides in St. George, said women like Bachelor and Sandra are brainwashed and part of a cult led by thugs, rapists and lawbreakers.
"People who leave (plural life) say there are abuses in virtually every household in Hildale and Colorado City," said Curran. The women loudly disapproved of his comments until Shurtleff stood up and asked them to be quiet.
Carla Holm, 23, who left her polygamous background at the age of 16, said she knows of several youths who tried to flee the communities.
"They have nowhere to go. I know of three girls who left in the last six months, only to go back and be married one week later," said Holm. "These youth need support and skills. I'm concerned about them."
Mohave County Supervisor Buster Johnson said he was eager to help children in Colorado City.
"Every child in Colorado City is an abused child, whether it's mentally or physically," Johnson told a smaller group of policy-makers during a breakout session. "Law enforcement has done nothing for them. This is the first time in 6 1/2 years that anything's been done about it. They're all abusing the system out there."
Linda Binder, an Arizona state senator who represents Colorado City, said the FLDS Church should pay for its own children instead of feeding off the government.
"They have $300 million to $400 million. We need to get at that money somehow and use it for the women and children," said Binder, although there were no ideas on how to accomplish that.
By the end of the day, law enforcement in Mohave County and Washington County had agreed to work together on a substation in Colorado City to house both agencies. Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said an agreement to resolve cross-border issues and extend prosecuting powers is being discussed with his counterpart in Mohave County. Social service agencies also identified areas where women and children can receive assistance if they need help leaving the polygamous culture.
E-mail: nperkins@infowest.com