FLDS women: Mothers plead to see children

ELDORADO, Texas — Three mothers of 10 children taken from the Yearning For Zion Ranch by Texas authorities told the Deseret Morning News Thursday that child-welfare workers will not allow them to see or talk to their children.

"I am their biological mother. They will not let me in to see my children," said Monica, a 34-year-old woman with five children ranging in age from 3 to 12 years old.

"They have my children and I don't know why. I have asked to see them and have been told no. I am not going to sit here and let them have my children. I don't know what, but I am going to do something. I am going to see my children."

Monica is one of three women who spoke with the News in separate telephone interviews. All three women, who said they live at the YFZ Ranch raided last week by Texas officials, were emotional in sharing their personal details but did not want their full names published.

"My 11-year-old daughter was taken by CPS workers and questioned alone ... about being with men and marriage. She doesn't know anything about that (kind of thing)," said Monica, adding she received the information from a volunteer caseworker who is helping care for the FLDS children at one of the shelters. "The caretaker said my daughter is just sobbing her eyes out. I want the whole world to know what they are doing to our children!"

All three women said they happened to be gone from the polygamous sect's ranch on the day the raid began. They returned as soon as they heard of the state's actions.

Their children are among the 416 FLDS taken into Texas state custody. Officials say the raid on the ranch in Eldorado was prompted by a phone call to a family shelter by a girl who said she was 16, lived at the ranch and had been forced into a "spiritual marriage" with an older man who beats her.

The girl reportedly asked for help to leave the ranch. Officials say they still don't know if that girl is among those in state custody.

In San Angelo, Texas, where the children are being held in shelters, welfare officials confirmed they are not allowing other family members contact with the children.

"When we removed the children from the ranch, there were women there who elected to come at their own free will," Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said Thursday. In fact, 139 women are currently in the makeshift shelters.

Meisner said they are trying to identify any other mothers who are not currently with the children, but it isn't easy to do.

"It is difficult to determine who these mothers are, the ones who are here and ones who may not be," she said. "We are not going to permit any alleged mothers in."