Domestic Abuse Calls on the Rise in Polygamist Communities

(HILLDALE, UT) – Domestic violence authorities in Utah are raising concerns about a sharp increase in calls to the state hot line from polygamist groups. A spokesman for the state’s Attorney General’s office says they’ve received up to 200 calls each month from alleged victims in communities like Hilldale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona. Officials say FLDS leader Warren Jeffs still has control over the group, which he runs from a prison in Texas. They’re unsure if there’s been an increase in domestic violence or if victims are reporting abuse more often.