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Little change in Bountiful

Editor: Lately the winds of change appear to be blowing through society, revealing the prevalence of the sexual harassment of women in the workplace as well as in the street.

 

Editor:

Lately the winds of change appear to be blowing through society, revealing the prevalence of the sexual harassment of women in the workplace as well as in the street.

The alleged attacks by Jian Ghomeshi and Bill Cosby and the rumours of sexual exploitation by certain Liberal MPs come to mind. However, there is one area where nothing seems to change, and that is the obdurate stance of B.C.’s provincial government to continue doing as little as possible regarding the sexual exploitation of underage girls at the polygamous community of Bountiful. 

In spite of the RCMP stating they have DNA and birth certificate proof that Winston Blackmore has impregnated 10 underage girls, in spite of their stating they have proof he trafficked underage girls, he has only been charged with contravening S. 293 CC, which proscribes polygamy.

Bewildered citizens are entitled to know why DNA evidence, plus the birth certificates of the babies and their underage mothers, plus Blackmore’s admission under oath that he had “married” underage girls is not an “acceptable standard” for approving charges of sexual exploitation in British Columbia.

People can be forgiven for believing that, yet again, the government does not want to touch Blackmore or Bountiful with a barge pole. But by not charging him with his RCMP-documented crimes, the government sends a message to Canadians that the rape of underage girls is not to be taken seriously in B.C. And, even more importantly, the government sends a message to the many underage mothers in Bountiful that while mainstream girls are protected from sexual exploitation by S. 153 CC, Bountiful’s underage girls are not.

Jancis M. Andrews, Sechelt