From Deseret News archives:

State's top child welfare official: FLDS children have broken bones

Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 8:31 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
AUSTIN, Texas — The state's top child welfare official said investigators found "historic physical injuries and fractures" among the children taken from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's ranch.

The information came Wednesday during a hearing here before the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

"Some of the fractures have been found in very young children," said Commissioner Carey Cockerell of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

He said 41 children have broken bones or previous fractures. He did not elaborate on what investigators believe may have caused the injuries and refused to speak with reporters after his testimony.

Rod Parker, an attorney for the FLDS Church, lashed out at Cockerell and Texas officials Wednesday.

"It's part of their PR campaign to attack the parents with highly inflammatory implications," he told the Deseret News.

"They're not even alleging anything specific, just hoping the public will draw the obvious conclusion," he said. "It's really inappropriate for public officials to behave in this manner."

DFPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins called Parker's assertions "ridiculous" and emphasized Cockerell was simply reporting to state senators who requested an update on the case.

Story continues below
"We're still in the investigative stage, and we haven't determined whether the injuries were due to abuse or neglect or were just childhood accidents," he said.

Parker said he spoke Wednesday with the doctor who operated a clinic at the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch. "The breaks he's seen haven't occurred in a setting where he would suspect child abuse at all," the attorney said.

"They can treat some simple fractures (at the ranch clinic), but usually it's in consultation with an orthopedic doctor in San Angelo," Parker said, adding that doctors are required to report any suspicions of child abuse.

"There's not a single episode of child abuse (of FLDS) reported in Texas, or Utah or Arizona, either."

"Isn't it ironic that (Child Protective Services) is talking about broken bones when a little 7-year-old girl in the care of CPS broke an arm while she was at the Wells Fargo Pavilion?" FLDS member Willie Jessop said Wednesday.

"When we inquired about the incident, they came after us with this sensational story. They are distorting the facts and trying to justify their barbaric actions."

The commissioner also reported that, based on journal entries and interviews, DFPS is investigating possible sexual abuse of some young boys at the ranch.

Parker called the comment "irresponsible" and "unethical," saying there was no evidence to support the claim.

Recent comments

To the folks crying foul on the fact that the raid occurred at all, I...

Jen | May 6, 2008 at 8:05 a.m.

Is it that 10% HAD broken bones, past tense? Or is it that they...

Jen | May 6, 2008 at 7:41 a.m.

In one report on CNN, an FLDS mother stated "There's the grass where...

Cynthia | May 3, 2008 at 5:37 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

Aggie 'D' holds BYU to season low

USU, along with almost any other basketball team, has a home court advantage....

What bothers me is how quick this article assumes Romney suffered at the...

March trial set in bogus-bids case

a good criminal attorney so Yengitch is hired. The jury may well not be...

Woods crash did $3,200 damage

That's like me causing 1/100th of a cent worth of damage to something and...

Football is JUST A GAME!! People have the right to say and believe what they...

Notice how Hatch always talks about failure.... How about some success in...

Proud to be a Wildcat...proud of Randy Rahe, his staff and his team. Never...

But according to Dave Rose in an article earlier today, "we know who are...

Nearly 1,000 cats have found homes

keep them under controland have them "fixed" so they will not be picked up...

Can I get a WOOT YEAH?!

Advertisements