RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Mounties)

From yesterday's Vancouver Sun newspaper:

"More than 30 young girls may have been unlawfully removed from B.C. and taken to the United States for the purpose of marriage, according to Mounties.

The girls, between the ages of 12 and 17, are believed to have been transported to the U.S. from Bountiful, B.C., between the late ‘90s and 2006. Police are also investigating allegations that girls under the age of 18 have been transported into Canada.

According to RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dan Moskaluk, police are not aware of any recent incidents where young girls are being victimized.

Moskaluk said this investigation has been continuing, but believes there may be a “different climate” in Bountiful that may lead to better cooperation.

“Given the reluctance of victims and witnesses in the past we were never able to proceed any further with the investigation,” said Moskaluk.

Creston RCMP and the Major Crime Unit are now working with state agencies in Texas and the Attorney-General of B.C. on the investigation.

On Wednesday, The Sun reported that RCMP officers will meet with Texas Rangers to gather information about Canadian girls who were married to or by Warren Jeffs, the convicted pedophile and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some 500 of his followers live in Bountiful.

Earlier this year, RCMP received a list of 31 child brides with connections to Bountiful based on evidence filed in Jeffs’ Texas trial.

RCMP is asking anyone with information that could assist these victims or help the investigation to call Creston RCMP at 250-428-9313. Anonymous calls can also be placed via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

(Ref. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/RCMP+launch+investigation+into+trafficking+young+girls+from/5243875/story.html )

basically ignored this situation. In fact, I emailed him soon after the vote in the house about same sex marriage. My argument was that since his party had determined that marriage was between one man and one woman, I wondered when to expect him to do something about the compound in Bountiful. I did mention that there were under-age girls there being forced to marry much older men. I got some non-committal reply about 6 months later which did not address any of the issues I raised.

How surprised am I - not very. I have no doubt the people in that compound voted for the Harper government.