![]() ![]() To the early theology of the Mormon church. Two leaders are not allowed to talk with each other.įLDS members practice polygamy in arranged marriages, a tradition tied Oler is the bishop of Bountiful's FLDS community, which is loyal to Jeffs.Įven though many of Bountiful's residents are related, followers of the Jeffs is in jail awaiting trial in Arizona on four counts of being anĪccomplice to sexual conduct with a minor. Wives and dozens of children but has said his community abhors sexualīlackmore, who has an independent sect of about 400 followers inīountiful, once ran the Canadian arm of the Utah-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but he was ejected in 2003 by that group's leader, Warren Jeffs. Blackmore openly acknowledges having numerous Blackmore and Oler lead rival polygamous factions in Bountiful, aīlackmore is charged with marrying 19 women and Oler is now accused of Suffredine, has said the defense could invoke the right to same-sexĬanada's Parliament extended full marriage rights to same-sex couples inĢ005. Maintains the case is about religious persecution. The case is the first to test Canada's polygamy laws. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, BritishĬolumbia Attorney General Wally Oppal said. "It's not a new charge," said provincial Ministry of Attorney General To Oler's indictment after a review by special prosecutor Terry Robertson. ![]() Married to more than one woman at a time. Winston Blackmore, 52, and James Oler, 44, are each accused of being Women he has married, said British Columbia's Ministry of Attorney General. Polygamy had his charges amended to add another wife to the list of “There was a resistance to being in the spotlight, especially in the spotlight as a plural wife,” said Campbell at the time.Creston, British Columbia » One of two Canadian men charged with This, they said, make it more difficult for women to seek help and support in times of need. What does harm to the community, the women said, is the prohibition of polygamy, as it fuels stigma and isolation. Some said they felt empowered and confident, as the practice of polygamy is a cornerstone of their religious faith. When it comes to the wives of Bountiful in particular, many in polygamous marriages told McGill researcher Angela Campbell in 20 that they did not feel oppressed or vulnerable in their relationships. The group has argued that any acts of violence, rape, or child abuse are already treated as crimes, and are mutually exclusive from the act of polygamy. The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, in particular, has actively opposed the laws because they criminalize acts between consenting adults, something that is not a crime. While many religious and women’s rights groups praised that decision as one that would protect women and children, other civil libertarians and feminist scholars vehemently oppose the criminalization of the practice - and call for the decriminalization of polygamy. ![]() In that 335-page ruling, the judge acknowledged that while the law does violate freedom of religion, it’s nevertheless justified due to the harms that polygamy imposes on women and children. That prompted the government to launch a constitutional case that upheld the country’s anti-polygamy criminal laws in 2011. In 2009, polygamy charges against Blackmore and Oler were thrown out over the method that the province chose the special prosecutor. Oler then replaced him, but Blackmore continued to lead his own splinter group. In 2002, Jeffs excommunicated Blackmore, who was then the FLDS leader in Bountiful, for reasons that remain unclear. This includes the U.S.-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), formerly led by Warren Jeffs, who is serving life in prison for multiple child rape convictions. The mainstream Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based in Utah officially renounced polygamy in the late 1800s and denies any connection to Blackmore and other fundamentalist Mormon congregations. ![]() Oler did not have a lawyer in the proceedings and did not defend himself, either. It’s unclear how many children Oler has.īlackmore’s lawyer has previously pledged to launch a constitutional challenge against the country’s laws prohibiting polygamy should his client be convicted. Blackmore has fathered a reported 148 children. The pair face the possibility of spending years in jail for the crimes.īoth Blackmore and Oler, 53, are former bishops over fundamentalist Mormon sects in Bountiful, a religious commune of about 1,000 people in southeastern British Columbia. ![]()
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