The leader of the Mormon church found 25 wives and 145 children

Photo: The Canadian Press

Two former leaders of the closed polygamous community in Canada were convicted of polygamy after the 12-year-old legal struggle.

61-year-old Winston Blackmore is accused of being married to 25 women at the same time, and his 53-year-old son-in-law, James Ohler, had 5 wives. Winston Blackmore also admitted that he had already had 145 children from different wives. They are both former bishops of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS). Blackmore was excommunicated from the FLDS in 2002 and replaced by Oler.

According to Article 293 of the Criminal Code of Canada, polygamy is illegal.

Blackmore's lawyer claims that the criminalization of polygamy infringes upon the freedom of religion of his client.

Both people can receive the maximum penalty in 5 years, if they are found guilty.

Their trial took place in the court of British Columbia this spring and lasted for two and a half weeks.

The exact date for Blackmore and Oler will be determined by the next court session.

The polygamous community in Buntiful, a religious community founded in 1946, numbers about 1500 people. Its residents are part of the Mormon splinter sect FLDS and have practiced polygamy for more than 70 years. The sect has branches in the United States, including Colorado City, Arizona and Hildahl, Utah. In total, there are 10 thousand of their followers in the United States.

Although polygamy was rejected by the Mormons in the 1890 year, this concept is preserved in their perceptions of the afterlife. Men and women can be bound by marriage in this life, so that marriage can also be effective in the next world. In this case, a man can enter into such a union with many women, and women are not entitled to it.

Blackmore never denied having several wives. He positioned this as a religious belief and called polygamy "heavenly" marriage.

Since 1990, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has continuously monitored the community in Büntifula in connection with allegations of child abuse, coercion to marry and trafficking in brides between sects of the USA and Canada.

Attempts to refer a case to court have stumbled upon a lack of clarity regarding laws against polygamy in Canada. However, later the laws were amended, and the man finally appeared before the court.

It is worth noting that the former American leader of the FLDS, Warren Jeffs, in 2011, was sentenced by a Texas court to life imprisonment for sexual abuse of two underage girls, whom he harassed as brides.

In 2016, his brother Lyle Jeffs, along with 10 other sect leaders, was arrested for alleged food stamp and money laundering fraud.

The authorities of the United States and Canada have collaborated in creating cases against the leaders of the FLDS.

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