One survivor shares her incredible story.
As we read the CNN report that more than 200 women and children have been removed from a Texas ranch that's home to members of a polygamous sect, we wondered what really goes through the minds of a Mom involved in polygamy. To find out, Mom•Logic talked to Pauline, a Mom of 13, who escaped a different polygamous group. Here is her story:
Mom•Logic: How did you get involved in a polygamous sect?
Pauline: About 15 years ago, I went through a divorce and I was at a particularly vulnerable part of my life. I was introduced to a 64-year-old who was a Mormon Fundamentalist leader. I married him, and became one of his many wives. At the time, my youngest daughter was 11. She ended up marrying him, too, becoming his 17th wife.
Mom•Logic: That's chilling. How many children do you have?
Pauline: I have 13 children, and four of my daughters are still in the cult. I don't worry about three of my daughters because they are not involved in polygamy, but they are involved in the church. They stay because it's the only life they know. I do worry about my fourth daughter because she's terribly abused, brainwashed, and mistreated. She won't leave because she's scared she'll be condemned. Her husband rules her like a tyrant. His second wife has taken over to the point where she tells my daughter when to eat and what clothes to wear. She even raises my daughter's two children. My daughter cannot make any decisions on her own.
Mom•Logic: How did you escape?
Pauline: In 2004, I escaped with one daughter and my son. My son was going to get kicked out anyway because that's what they usually do with the boys. My husband was built up to be such a prophet and you were never allowed to talk against him, but I called him and told him I knew he was a phony, and I was going to leave. At some point, I learned if I stood up to my husband, he'd be exposed. He had no choice but to let us leave. He tried to intimidate us, but we stayed strong.
Mom•Logic: How would you describe this current situation at the compound in Texas?
Pauline: It's dangerous for everyone involved. But this may be some of the women and children's way out. It really depends on how much they are brainwashed. Some of them don't know it's wrong, and they think this is the right way to live. I fear it will end in bloodshed, just like Waco.
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