Breaking news today that a Texas judge involved in the removal of the sect’s children for suspected abuse has ordered that the more than 400 children be returned to their families today. It is family reunion day for the children and their parents of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints.
In getting the return of their children, the families have to agree to take parenting classes; that is fairly typical in cases where children have been removed when there have been concerns about parenting skills. They also have to submit to either psychological or medical testing for the children if it is deemed necessary. The families may not leave Texas and move out of it’s jurisdiction. It sounds as if the case is not closed but, it will continue to be monitored with the children placed back into their homes. For the children to be back in the home…their families have to agree not to interfere with any investigation.
I am sure this is not the end of the whole mishandled situation. When all is said and done with the investigation and cases are proven or disproven…i am sure there will be more litagation to follow. Those who were falsely accused who had their children removed will want to be compensated in court…to make it clear that they were not abusers and to prevent this kind of mass assumption of guilt in the future. For those found guilty, they will be held accountable.
In the larger picture, much damage has come from this situation for those individuals who were seperated from their families. This case has made history and it’s impact is going to be far reaching from one state to another in determining the limits of power that the child protective departments will be able to wield over individual rights.
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