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Anti-Gender Developments

14-Year-Old Texas Girl Forced into Child Marriage

Monday, September 8, 2008

A District Court judge in Texas ordered a 14 year old girl to foster care in June 2008 after she was found to have been wed to the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLSD), Warren Jeffs, at the age of 12. The girl is one of over 400 children taken by Texas Child Protective Services in an April 2008 raid of the Church compound.

The Judge, Barbara Walther, found that the girl was a child bride and that her mother was not willing to protect her. Jeffs has been in custody since 2006 for his conviction as an accomplice to rape.

The FLSD church split from the Mormon Church over 50 years ago after the Mormons renounced polygamy. In April 2008, Texas police officers raided the Chuch’s ranch after receiving information about child abuse. Custody hearings were chaotic due to the huge size of the case – over 400 children and 300 attorneys were involved.

Compiled from: "FLDS leader's alleged bride, 14, sent to foster care", CNN, 19 August 2008; “Sex claims hit US polygamy sect”, BBC News, 14 June 2005.

For More Information

For more information, please see the Forced and Early Marriage section of this website.

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