Dispatch from the FLDS hearing: Dr John Walsh continues…

Ismael Estrada
CNN producer

-Walsh, expert for the Defense, says that Warren Jeff’s encourages marriage…but is indifferent to the age appointment. Walsh says Jeff’s doesn’t look at age, it’s just that age is not relevant.

-Walsh is asked whether he has any personal knowledge of arranged marriages with Jeff’s … He says no he does not have any personal knowledge….

-Walsh says that a girl would NOT be eligible at for marriage unless she was menstruating… Walsh says that of his own personal knowledge of arranged marriages with others, 13 is the youngest he knows of….

-Walsh says that FLDS believe that having children is a sacred calling. He says that there is a belief that a woman’s willingness to have more children may be held at a higher esteem. But it’s not looked down of if a woman can’t have children , only if she WON’T…

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Attorney for the 4 year old childrens begins asking questions to John Walsh

-The lawyer asks Dr John Walsh if he felt children were in danger if they were under the age of 13 or not yet reached puberty…

-Walsh says that the FLDS believes that all sexual activity must be confined to the marriage.

-Walsh Says that child abuse and sex outside of marriage is a serious sin.

-Walsh says that most men and women in the FLDS don’t have sex with their clothes off. That many husbands and wives have never seen each other naked.

-Walsh says that if you take away the Polygamy..the FLDS would be very close to many conservative religions in the US.

-Walsh says the phrase “be sweet’ means do not respond in anger, do not let people provoke you. It’s a general FLDS teaching….

-Walsh testifies that there are cases where a girl can reject a marriage and not be excluded from the sect.

-Walsh says that it is not the pattern for the FLDS to hold people against their will. If someone were to call the police because of a beating, it would not be common for the FLDS to hide the person in question…They seem to only hide people if the person in question is wanted for a polygamy…

-Says that not all FLDS are polygamists, says maybe 60 percent are.

-Says that 10 to 15 percent of sect live beyond or outside the sect…but maintain contact with their family members.