SAN ANGELO (KXAN) - One year after Texas child-protection officials removed more than 440 children from a polygamist compound in Eldorado, the battle between the families and the state continues.
It was the largest child-welfare operation in the history of Texas' Department of Public Safety and Department of Family and Protective Services.
"It was a 9/11 experience," said church member Willie Jessop.
Sect members gathered in front of the Ft. Concho complex in San Angelo on Friday to talk about what they say were injustices the state committed against church members during the raid.
The group rented the building in which they were held during the first few days of the raid, planning to show the public the conditions in which they had to live versus the lives they had to leave.
Putting on an almost churchlike atmosphere, they set up chairs and showed a video with graphic images of children behind bars.
Hand in hand, members of the sect who still live on the ranch showed up to speak about the raid, which they say still haunts them.
The anniversary comes months after Texas agencies stopped almost all of their investigations into the claims of abuse on the ranch.
CPS eventually non-suited all of the cases except for one and the last update on their website about the biggest raid in U.S. history dates back to December of 2008.
While officials stand by their decision to remove the children - and some families never went back to the ranch - lawyers for the families question the silence.
"My hunch is that they [CPS] wanted out," said Debra Brown, the San Angelo director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). "The cooperation level was not very high with these families. I think they just felt like it was just a no-win situation for them."
Brown said none of the CASA volunteers had been back to the ranch since January, since all but one of the cases has been non-suited.
"I'm just concerned, because I don't think we did put safeguards in place and we have a lot of unanswered questions."
Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, said he still believes the state made the right move in removing the children from the ranch.
"We knew there was systemic abuse happening out there," Darby said. "Yet we had no idea just how many children were being kept on that ranch."
CPS Investigation Results
After an appeals court decided in late May of 2008 that CPS must return the all of the FLDS children to their parents, CPS began working with families on a master plan the agency created.
All of the teenage girls, ages 10 to 17, were asked to attend 4 hours of therapeutic education sessions in which they attended in groups. 170 parents participated in 2-4 hour parenting classes.
Mothers of teenage girls signed "safety contracts," guaranteeing the girls would not be subject to sexual abuse.
In December of 2008, CPS published a report on their investigation results.
The report showed 12 girls as confirmed victims of sexual abuse and neglect because they were married at ages ranging from 12 to 15.
It also found that 262 other children were subjected to neglect because parents failed to remove their child from a situation in which the child would be exposed to sexual abuse committed against another child within their families or households.
In all, 175 families were investigated with 275 children confirmed as victims and 124 adults designated as perpetrators.
The report split the cases into the following categories:
- Reason to believe abuse or neglect was present in 91 families. This was either due to sexual abuse or neglect, failing to take steps against underage marriage, failure to remove a child from a family or household where they would be exposed to underage marriage.
- Ruled out abuse or neglect in 12 families
- Unable to determine abuse or neglect in 39 families
- Unable to complete the investigation in 1 family
- Administratively closed, meaning CPS determined an investigation was not needed for 3 families
As of December, DPS had ended its investigations of 424 of the 439 children involved. Lawsuits were pending for 5 mothers of 15 girls.
And now, Friday, Apr. 3, there is only one case left, involving a 12-year-old girl who remains in state custody due to evidence linking her as a wife to the sect's jailed leader, Warren Jeffs.
Cost of the Raid and Legislative Action
The latest figures released show the raid and removal of the children from the YFZ ranch cost the state $12.8 million.
This number is sure to rise, once CPS tallies the cost for attorneys and programs after the children were returned to their parents.
Included in the $12.8 million figure is the $60,000 spent on DNA tests for 599 people.
As can be expected, the 81st Legislature has stepped in to evaluate the raid and deal with any mistakes or lessons learned that may come from it.
Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, chairman of the Health and Human Services committee, said there will be a major hearing in mid-April.
Originally he had formed a subcommittee to deal
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