Shurtleff headed to polygamy talks in B.C.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff takes the polygamy issue north to British Columbia when he meets next week with his counterpart there and with women's groups concerned about the status of women living in communities practicing plural marriage.

Shurtleff will meet with Wally Oppal, the attorney general and minister responsible for multiculturalism, on Thursday in Vancouver.

Oppal, who has been in his job just five months, said he welcomes Shurtleff's visit, advice and the exchange of ideas.

As in Utah, polygamy in Canada has received spotty attention from political and law enforcement officials over the past 50 years. But Oppal said that climate is changing.

"I get a lot of letters from people wondering why we won't do anything about it," the minister said. "When I took office, I made the statement that I am prepared to prosecute."

Historically, however, police investigations have never netted any willing witnesses to testify against alleged perpetrators, he said. Currently, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in Bountiful, a British Columbia town founded by members of a polygamous sect, he said.

"The polygamy issue doesn't concern me as much as the allegation of sexual exploitation and sexual assault. Those are the matters of obvious concern," Oppal said.

Like Oppal, Shurtleff has said he's less concerned about polygamy than he is with crimes against women and children. He wasn't available Wednesday for comment.

About three years ago, Shurtleff made the issue a central focus of his administration, after a handful of women left various Utah polygamist communities and spoke out about abuses. Since 1998, Utah has prosecuted five polygamists for a variety of crimes, including bigamy, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and child abuse.

Shurtleff has also worked with the Legislature to tighten the law and, with a cadre of Utah polygamist women, to draft a manual for social service workers to improve the services to women and children from plural families.

In Canada, a combination of news stories and recent events, including the split in leadership of the sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has similarly brought more attention to the issue, including allegations of sexual and child abuse and cases of illegal immigration.