Satanic ritual abuse (or SRA) refers to the sexual abuse of children or non-consenting adults in the context of Satanic rituals.

Allegations of SRA remain controversial and it has proven to be one of the most incendiary issues in debates over child abuse, memory, and the law. A number of law enforcement sources ^[1], criminologists, psychologists, journalists ^[2] , and religious affairs commentators ^[3] have suggested that allegations of SRA are false or at least grossly exaggerated. ^{[4] [5] [6]} Individual cases of Satanic ritual abuse have been documented. ^[4] For the Wikipedia policy regarding controversial issues in articles, see Wikipedia:Guidelines for controversial articles. ... For the band, see The Police. ... Criminology is the scientific study of crime as an individual and social phenomenon. ... Psychology (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhē, spirit, soul; λόγος, logos, knowledge) is both an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual...

The term Satanic Ritual Abuse is often used interchangeably with sadistic ritual abuse, a broader term that refers to any and all ritualistic abuse, whether or not there are elements of satanic imagery.

Prevalence

There are no firm prevalence figures on satanic ritual abuse, since its existence is doubted in some quarters, and the definition of what constitutes satanic ritual abuse vary between researchers. In epidemiology, the prevalence of a disease in a statistical population is defined as the total number of cases of the disease in the population at a given time, or the total number of cases in the population, divided by the number of individuals in the population. ...

The statistics most directly relevant to the question of the prevalence of satanic ritual abuse comes from two studies in Britain.^{[citation needed]} A BBC survey of British police forces in the late 1980s found that of 186 cases of network abuse where either multiple abusers or multiple abused children were known to each other only five involved claims of ritual or satanic abuse. ^[7]. In another study, 29% of the 211 cases of organised child sexual abuse reported to researchers by British police, social and welfare agencies from the period of 1988 to 1991 were designated "ritual abuse" cases by respondents ^[8]. In epidemiology, the prevalence of a disease in a statistical population is defined as the total number of cases of the disease in the population at a given time, or the total number of cases in the population, divided by the number of individuals in the population. ... Child sexual abuse is an umbrella term describing criminal and civil offenses in which an adult engages in sexual activity with a minor or exploits a minor for the purpose of sexual gratification. ...

Empirical research on substantiated sexual abuse cases in daycare centres also provides prevalence statistics on ritual abuse. Finkelhor and Williams collected a sample of 270 substantiated cases of sexual abuse in daycare centres throughout America, of which 17% involved multiple perpetrators and 13% involved ritualistic elements ^[9] Faller’s exploratory study of 48 children sexually abused in daycare found that half of the victims had been abused by more than one perpetrator, and that multi-perpetrator sexual abuse was associated with ritualistic sexual abuse, the production of child pornography, and a higher number of female perpetrators ^[10]. These findings concur with those of Kelly (1989) and Waterman (1993), whose respective studies compared samples of children ritually abused in daycare, children sexually abused in daycare, and a non-abused control group ^[11]. Empirical research is any activity that uses direct or indirect observation as its test of reality. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Child pornography refers to pornographic material depicting children. ... From Latin ex- + -periri (akin to periculum attempt). ...

Research in Australia, Britain and America suggests that between a third and a quarter of psychotherapists, social workers and counsellors have encountered at least one client who discloses a history of ritualistic abuse. The most comprehensive survey on the subject was undertaken in the early 1990s by Bottoms, Shaver and Goodman. They found that, among 2,709 members of the American Psychological Association who responded to a poll, one third of psychologists had encountered at least one client with a history of “ritualistic or religion-related” abuse, and over 90% believed their clients ^[12]. These findings are commensurate with surveys of healthcare workers and social workers in Britain and Australia on their experiences with clients disclosing a history of ritualistic abuse ^[13] // America usually means either: The Americas, the lands and regions of the Western hemisphere, often divided into North America and South America The United States of America. ... The American Psychological Association (APA) is a professional organization representing psychology in the US. It has around 150,000 members and an annual budget of around $70m. ...

In 1992, Childhelp USA logged 1,741 calls pertaining to ritual abuse. Monarch Resources of Los Angeles logged approximately 5,000, Real Active Survivors tallied nearly 3,600, Justus Unlimited of Colorado received almost 7,000, and Looking Up of Maine handled around 6,000. ^[14].

In 1994 a survey of 11,000 psychiatric and police workers in the United States, conducted for the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, found more than 12,000 accusations of group cult sexual abuse based on satanic ritual, but not one substantiated. ^[4]

Historical context

The phrase “satanic ritual abuse” first arose in the mid-1980s to describe the disturbing disclosures of some children in child protection cases, and some adults in psychotherapy. The early 1980s saw an exponential increase in child protection investigations in America, Britain and other developed countries, driven by the implementation of mandatory reporting laws and increased public awareness of child abuse. In a small number of investigations, children began speaking about organised and ritualistic forms of sexual abuse by parents and carers ^[15]. Adults in psychotherapy were also speaking about similar experiences in childhood ^[16] These disclosures included descriptions of sexual abuse in the context of Satanic cults, rituals and the use of Satanic iconography, garnering the label “satanic ritual abuse” in the media and amongst treating professionals. Psychotherapy is an interpersonal, relational intervention used by trained psychotherapists to aid clients in problems of living. ... // America usually means either: The Americas, the lands and regions of the Western hemisphere, often divided into North America and South America The United States of America. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Child abuse is the physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment or neglect of children by parents, guardians, or others. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Early criminal trials in America and Britain involving allegations of organised and ritualistic abuse were characterised by acquittals, hung juries, and successful appeals. The failure of these high-profile cases generated worldwide media attention, and came to play a central feature in the growing controversies over child abuse, memory and the law. ^[17] Public anxiety that an innocent adult could be subject to prosecution for sexual abuse on the basis of a child’s whim or confabulation was inflamed by the bizarre nature of children’s allegations in ritual abuse cases. Some community groups, such as the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, lobbied the press and policy-makers to contest accounts of organised and ritualistic abuse, whilst clinicians, police and healthcare workers struggled to accommodate cases of satanic ritual abuse within their professional practice ^[18]. // America usually means either: The Americas, the lands and regions of the Western hemisphere, often divided into North America and South America The United States of America. ... The False Memory Syndrome Foundation was formed by a group of parents who had been accused of child abuse, their lawyers, and sympathetic academics who promote the hypothesis of False Memory Syndrome and dispute the validity of recovered memories. ...

By the early 1990s, the phrase “satanic ritual abuse” was featuring prominently in media coverage of allegations of ritualistic abuse, however, it was a phrase used less and less frequently by professionals in the field of trauma and abuse. Researchers and clinicians generally prefer terminology such as “ritual abuse” ^[19] or “ritualistic abuse” ^[20], “organised abuse” ^[21], “sadistic abuse” ^[22], and “multi-dimensional child sex rings” ^[23] which acknowledge the complex morphology of child sexual abuse cases involving multiple perpetrators and victims, and avoids ascribing a motivational framework to perpetrators. The notable exception to this is literature on the subject written by evangelical Christians, which has traditionally stressed the ‘Satanic’ aspects of some sexual abuse cases in order to advance a fundamentalist religious and political agenda.

Similarities between accounts of “satanic ritual abuse” and historical accounts of Satanism and witchcraft have been noted by both those who believe that ritualistic abuse is occurring in the modern world and those who believe otherwise. The earliest claims that organized groups systematically and repeatedly torture and kill others in the context of devil worship can be found in the European witch-panics. For instance, in 1334 there was a trial of 63 presumed witches in Toulouse, France, who were accused of worshipping Satan, eating infant flesh, engaging in sexual orgies with others and with Satan himself. Eight of them were burned and the rest imprisoned. Earlier witch panics are usually not well documented, especially when there was no official trial. Witch-hunting in Europe reached a peak in the 16th and 17th centuries, when many mass trials against presumed worshipers of Satan took place.^{[24] [25]} This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Witch” redirects here. ... Torture, according to international law, is any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has... Look up kill, killing in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Satanism is a religious or philosophical movement centered around Satan or another entity identified with Satan, or centered around the forces of nature, particularly human nature, represented by Satan as an archetype. ... A witch-hunt is a search for suspected witches; it is a type of moral panic. ... Events Births January 4 - Amadeus VI of Savoy, Count of Savoy (died 1383) January 13 - King Henry II of Castile (died 1379) May 25 - Emperor Suko of Japan, third of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders (died 1398) August 30 - King Peter I of Castile (died 1369) James I of Cyprus (died... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Witchcraft. ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Cannibal” redirects here. ... For the album by Circle Jerks, see Group Sex. ... This article is about the concept of Satan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the institution. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A witch-hunt is a search for suspected witches; it is a type of moral panic. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Skepticism

Reports of SRA arose during a period in which the prevalence and harms of child sexual abuse had become a matter of significant community concern across the West. In the 1980s and 1990s, community groups such as Victims of Child Abuse Laws and the False Memory Syndrome Foundation suggested that the increasing rates of child abuse reports were being driven, at least in part, by moral panic around child abuse, as well as professional malpractice on behalf of psychotherapists, counselors and social workers. These groups highlighted the bizarre nature of SRA allegations as evidence that children were being encouraged, or coerced, to confabulate allegations of sexual abuse. In epidemiology, the prevalence of a disease in a statistical population is defined as the total number of cases of the disease in the population at a given time, or the total number of cases in the population, divided by the number of individuals in the population. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The False Memory Syndrome Foundation was formed by a group of parents who had been accused of child abuse, their lawyers, and sympathetic academics who promote the hypothesis of False Memory Syndrome and dispute the validity of recovered memories. ... Child abuse is the physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment or neglect of children by parents, guardians, or others. ... A moral panic is a reaction by a group of people based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behavior or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, is dangerously deviant and poses a menace to society. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Other people skeptical of SRA pointed to the increasing influence of evangelical religious activists in American politics, and the rise in public concern over Satanism, as lending weight to the position that allegations of SRA were not based on actual events. In particular, sociologists and journalists noted the vigorous nature with which some evangelical activists and groups were using claims of SRA to further their religious and political goals ^[26]. Some commentators drew a causal link between the involvement of evangelical churches in publicizing accounts of SRA, and the rise of allegations of SRA, suggesting that the entire phenomenon may be the invention of religious extremists and evidence of a “moral panic” over Satanism and child abuse. Skeptical literature on SRA has highlighted the sadistic and bizarre nature of allegations, which, at times, have involved accounts of events which are unlikely or impossible. Authors have also highlighted the extreme claims of people who believe that ritualistic abuse is evidence of a global Satanic conspiracy. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article provides a list of noted sociologists and major contributors to sociology (even if they did not primarily work as sociologists): Contents: Top - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z... A journalist is a person who practices journalism. ... A moral panic is a reaction by a group of people based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behavior or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, is dangerously deviant and poses a menace to society. ...

Early sexual abuse cases involving allegations of ritualistic or satanic activity attracted significant media attention and community concern. This controversy was compounded by a number of factors, including the absence of evidence-based forensic interviewing techniques with children, the lack of multi-agency working protocols to facilitate collaboration between police and welfare agencies investigating child abuse, and the failure of the justice system to recognize the special needs of child complainants testifying in court. The failure of these high-profile cases left a lasting impact on the debate on SRA. Details of these prominent cases are available below, as well as other, lesser-known cases, in which convictions for organised and ritualistic abuse of children were obtained.

In The Devil in The Nursery, Margaret Talbot for the New York Times wrote: The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

When you once believed something that now strikes you as absurd, even unhinged, it can be almost impossible to summon that feeling of credulity again. Maybe that is why it is easier for most of us to forget, rather than to try and explain, the Satanic-abuse scare that gripped this country in the early 80's -- the myth that Devil-worshipers had set up shop in our day-care centers, where their clever adepts were raping and sodomizing children, practicing ritual sacrifice, shedding their clothes, drinking blood and eating feces, all unnoticed by parents, neighbors and the authorities. ... Over the last few years, it has become commonplace to describe the ritual-abuse trials as witch hunts, and surely that's as good a metaphor as any. Yet in one important way, it isn't quite right. In the prototypical witch hunts in Europe and in the Massachusetts colony, the accused were often scapegoats for some calamity -- disease, bad harvests, the birth of a deformed child. In the witch hunts of the 80's, there was no such injury to be avenged or repaired. There was, however, a psychological need to be fulfilled. Our willingness to believe in ritual abuse was grounded in anxiety about putting children in day care at a time when mothers were entering the work force in unprecedented numbers. It was as though there were some dark, self-defeating relief in trading niggling everyday doubts about our children's care for our absolute worst fears -- for a story with monsters, not just human beings who didn't always treat our kids exactly as we would like; for a fate so horrific and bizarre that no parent, no matter how vigilant, could have ever prevented it. ^[2]

Cases in North America

Orlando, Florida

In 1992, James L. Wright and his wife, Margie Wright, were charged and convicted of sexually abusing children in the context of Satanic rituals. The complainant children reported being forced into sexual acts at gunpoint and their forced participation in Satanic rituals, and their disclosures included chalices filled with blood, a box containing a corpse, and witnessing Wright sacrifice a stray dog. Investigators found the dog's skeleton near the Wright's trailer. Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

The parents of the complainant children later moved residences and the prosecutor at trial expressed concern because the children had been threatened by the Satanic cult not to testify. The parents said cult members had come to their house to take the children to stop them from testifying against the Wrights. The children had to be moved to a secure location due to the threats.

Maggie Wright testified against her husband while she pleaded no contest to reduced charges. ^[27]

Fran's Day Care in Texas

In 1992 Dan and Frances Keller were charged with sexually abusing children at their daycare centre in Texas, and they were arrested after fleeing to Las Vegas. The Kellers had a joint trial after which a jury found them guilty of sexually abusing a three year old girl. A doctor had found lacerations to the labia and hymen of the child that were consistent with an allegation of sexual abuse.

News reports state that more than one child was thought to have been abused at "Fran's Day Care" in Austin, Texas, operated by the Kellers, but this particular case cites their conviction of only one 3 ½ year old child. A 6-yr-old child, who also claimed to be a victim, testified on the behalf of the 3 1/2 year old and called Fran's Day Care, "Fran's Hate Care." About eight children were in therapy due to the abuse.

The children described ritual acts: being terrorized in a graveyard, seeing animals killed, being buried alive with animals, painting pictures with bones dipped in blood, being shot and resurrected, being stuck with needles and drugged, and seeing bodies dug up and mutilated with a chainsaw. A child led an investigator to a graveyard where they found animal bones. Parents reported children who were terrified of baths, children who believe they must kill themselves on their birthday, children who were afraid of ponies, fearful they will be put in jail, and children who could conduct a séance, complete with otherworldly "chants."

Three other people were indicted for sexually abusing children at this daycare. They were Douglas Perry, a Travis County road maintenance worker, Janise White, a Travis County constable -- Perry's wife, and Raul Quintero, another Travis County constable and Whites partner. Douglas Perry was originally given immunity but denied any knowledge of events on the witness stand. Prosecutors then introduced a statement written by Perry on July 7, 1992 which was read to the jury. The statement described sexual activities with two children by the aforementioned individuals. He confessed to tearing a head off a doll and threatening the children that if they told, their heads would come off the same way.

Perry eventually pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent acts with a child and he received 10 years probation. Indictments against White and Quintero were dismissed. Parents of two children filed a civil suit holding these three people accountable for not reporting the abuse, but the case was dismissed. ^[28]

Arizona

Following allegations of sexual abuse by his children, Edward Cannaday was charged with sexually assaulting his daughters and step-daughter, then 5, 10 and 11, and molesting his 6 year old son. All of the children were placed in foster homes. The children also implicated their grandfather and three uncles in the abuse, and claimed that their extended family was participating in a satanic cult that sacrificed animals, babies and children, and engaged in group sex.

Newspaper reports stated that the police had investigated reports of dead bodies in the area during the late 1980’s, and bone fragments, bits of clothing and scraps of duct tape had been found.

Five other relatives were indicted on charges ranging from aggravated assault to child molestation but charges against the three younger brothers were dropped when they were declared incompetent to stand trial on the basis of mental disability.

After a three-week trial Edward Cannaday was convicted of sexual molestation of a child. The defense attorney didn’t dispute that the children were chronically abused. His co-defendant and sister, Sharlotte Ann Brown, was convicted for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.^[29]

West Memphis 3

Main article: West Memphis 3

In 1993, three men were charged for the murder of three children in West Memphis, Arkansas, with one man being sentenced to death and the remaining two to life in prison. One of the men confessed to the crime and implicated the two others in the murder. During the investigation, allegations of Satanic rituals were made by a playmate of one of the murdered children. Evidence tendered at trial suggested that murdered children had been sexually assaulted and genitally mutilated. The West Memphis 3 are three men tried and convicted for the murders of three children in the Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas, United States during 1993. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Location of West Memphis, Arkansas Coordinates: County Crittenden Government  - Mayor William H. Johnson Area  - City 68. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...

There is a significant groundswell of public support for the three convicted men. However, when asked by police how he thought the boys had been killed, Echols gave them statements not yet publicly known. He later claimed to have read this information in the newspaper, although, when confronted with the pertinent articles on the witness stand, he conceded that the information he was referring to was not in the public domain.

At trial, two witnesses testified they overheard Echols admit he killed the three boys and that he was going to kill two more. The state thought the killings had been performed in a satanic ritual and an expert witness on the occult gave that opinion also. Echols admitted to being involved in the occult, items in his home included journals that had references to "morbid images, spells, and dead children." His parents had concerns about his involvement in "devil worship." In statements tendered at court, Echols stated his belief that he obtained power from drinking the blood of others, especially from his sexual partners.

In regards to a second defendant, a witness testified that he had spoken of the murders. "He told me he dismembered the kids, or I don't know exactly how many kids. He just said he dismembered them."^[30]

Pennsylvania

In 1993, Rickie Jay Gaddis and his wife Debbie Louis Gaddis were charged with more then 150 offences relating to the sexual abuse of children in Satanic rituals. Also arrested were a 39 year-old man and three juveniles who lived with him, a 41 year-old man, and a 29 year-old man.

The couple were convicted in 1994 for what the judge described as "horrific sexual, physical and emotional" abuse, and Rickie Gaddis was sentenced to 235 to 470 years in prison. News reports quote the police, stating the children were subjected by their parents and neighbors to ritualistic torture that included bloodlettings with a sword, Satanic ceremonies, hot needles under their fingernails, sodomy, stretching and tattooing. The children told police of Satanic rituals in which their 34 year old father used ceremonial swords to draw blood from adults and children to pour on the grave of a daughter killed in a fire three years ago. ^[31]

Missouri

In 1996, a mother and father challenged the decision of a Missouri court to terminate their parental rights to three of their seven children. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

Social services documented constant and severe domestic violence; the father continually abused the mother, including using a cattle prod to electrically shock her, shot her with a gun, cut her with a razor blade and violated her with a baseball bat. The mother then claimed she made up the story, although physical evidence was discovered, she had a stab wound in her side and she was bleeding internally. She also related past abuse by the father, including being raped, shot, stabbed, and of attempts to cut her throat and cut off her arm.

Both parents had been arrested for the rape of a teenager, but the witness wouldn't testify so the charges were dropped. Both parents had tried to commit suicide and were involved in drug usage, satanic worship, and they sacrificed animals in front of the children. The mother admitted to this activity and to giving the children drugs to forget the ceremonies. The children also stated that this occurred. ^[32]

Florida

In 1992, a child in a family of twelve alleged that her father, Eddie Sexton, was sexually abusing his three oldest daughters. Six children were taken into custody by child protection services, although three children were later returned to the mother under an agreement that she would keep the children away from the father. Later that year, Mrs Sexton fled to Ohio with the three children, and reunited with Mr Sexton in Kentucky. They were arrested in Florida in 1994, with all children returned to the custody of protective services. Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

The couple were charged with the sexual, physical, and mental abuse against the three children. According to Ohio vs. Estella Sexton, February 13, 1995, 1995 Ohio App. Lexis 1413, one of the children stated that family members were involved in satanic rituals, invoking spirits, and "baby thingies and things like that." “We will hold hands ... it mostly takes place after my grandmother died. They will bring her spirit back. Sometimes they bring devils back. They come out of the table and you see them floating around in the room ... we all hold hands while it’s happening.” This testimony regarding Satanic ritual was found by the court to be relevant to the proceedings. The court documented other ritualistic activity by the offenders, including an instance in which one of the children was cut, and forced to sign a contract to the devil.^[33]

Eddie Sexton was later convicted of participation in the murder of his son-in-law, Joel Good, and sentenced to death. Good was murdered by Sexton’s 22 year old son, Willie, who strangled him to death under Sexton’s direction. The States proposed motive for the killing was that Sexton's son-in-law knew Sexton was the father of his own "grandchildren."

Willie Sexton testified against his father in exchange for his guilty plea to second-degree murder. News reports state that during the second trial, his son, Willie Sexton, said his father convinced him he had Satanic powers and sexually abused him. Sherri Sexton, daughter of Eddie Lee Sexton, discussed séances held in the home. She told news reporters that her dead cat was placed on a table and “my dad had all of us go around the table holding hands. He was talking weird. He was saying he was Satan… He kept asking us to give our souls to him – to follow him to Satan.” ^[34]

Other incidents

Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in the United States, including the town of Edenton, North Carolina, but also in Martensville, Saskatchewan, Canada. The remains of a small infant girl, first dubbed Baby X and later 'Kristina Angelica James,' were discovered near Rupert, Idaho in the early 1990s, and the body was considered evidence of SRA activity, though no unambiguous evidence linking the girl's death to SRA was ever found.^[35] Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. ... Martensville is a town located in Saskatchewan, Canada, just north of Saskatoon. ... Rupert is a city located in Minidoka County, Idaho. ...

Cases in Europe

Several "mass child abuse" scares took place in Coesfeld, Worms and Nordhorn, Germany where violent rituals and underground tunnel networks were alleged; all the accused were later acquitted. Two widely publicized cases of similar mass hysteria occurred in the north of the Netherlands, one in Oude Pekela in which a clown was the alleged main perpetrator and another in Emmer-Erfscheidenveen in which the common theme of secret tunnels and basements featured prominently. No trace of evidence was ever found and all the accused were exonerated. Coesfeld is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of the district Coesfeld. ... Wormser Dom Worms (pronounced ) is a city in the southwest of Germany. ... Nordhorn (IPA: ) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... Oude Pekela is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. ... Emmer-Erfscheidenveen is a hamlet in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. ...

Three widely publicised cases in the United Kingdom were in Rochdale ^[36], Orkney, and Nottingham. In the Nottingham case, social services investigations into a Broxtowe Estate family with multigenerational child sexual abuse and neglect became sidetracked into a wild goose chase looking for Satanic cults, with wilder and wilder allegations being investigated. Nottingham council organised an inquiry into the events of this case, which cast so poor a light on the competence of the social services that the council unsuccessfully tried to block distribution of the final report.^[37] The authorities in the Orkney investigation were criticised for carrying out dawn raids to 'rescue' suspected victims from their families, without explanation, then taking them by helicopter or boat to the Scottish mainland, only to later have to return them after the accusations turned out to be groundless. For other uses, see Rochdale (disambiguation). ... Location Geography Area Ranked 16th  - Total 990 km²  - % Water  ? Admin HQ Kirkwall ISO 3166-2 GB-ORK ONS code 00RA Demographics Population Ranked 32nd  - Total (2005) 19,590  - Density 20 / km² Scottish Gaelic  - Total () {{{Scottish council Gaelic Speakers}}} Politics Orkney Islands Council http://www. ... For other uses, see Nottingham (disambiguation). ...

Adam in London

Main article: Adam (unsolved Thames murder case)

In 2004 the naked body of an apparently African male child was found in the River Thames, in London, and allegations have been made that the child was sacrificed in a ritual, either Satanic or animist in nature, and that many other Third World children had met like fates having been brought into the UK as child asylum-seekers, or displaced distant relatives of people who had recently immigrated. Subsequently reports have been made concerning children of African-immigrant families who have been abused because members believe them to be possessed by devils (strictly speaking, in these cases, the abuse is inspired by a version of Christianity, not Satanism, since the victims, not the perpetrators, are believed to be satanically influenced). Adam is the name given to a young African boy whose torso was discovered in the River Thames, London on September 21, 2001. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is in need of attention. ... For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... Demonic possession, in supernatural belief systems, is a form of spiritual possession whereby certain malevolent extra-dimensional entities, demons, gain control over a mortal persons body, which is then used for an evil or destructive purpose. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Rignano Flaminio, Italy

In April of 2007, six people were arrested for sexually abusing fifteen children in Rignano Flaminio, Italy. The suspects were accused of filming the children engaged in sexual acts with 'satanic' overtones.^[38] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Country Italy Region Latium Province Province of Rome (RM) Mayor Elevation 250 m Area 38. ...

Lewis, Scotland

In Lewis, Scotland eight people, including a 75 year-old grandmother, were accused of raping and sexually abusing children in black magic rituals. The court was told of orgies and the sacrifices of animals, whose blood was drunk. ^[39] For other uses, see Lewis (disambiguation). ...

Children in court

In the early 1980s, as the first sexual abuse cases featuring ritualistic allegations were coming to court, there was little understanding of the specific needs of complainant children in sexual abuse trials. Police, social workers or counsellors did not have access to professional training or guidance in relation to forensic interviewing techniques with children. During trial, many defence lawyers emphasised the suggestive or leading nature of some forensic interviews with children, and suggested that children's disclosures of sadistic or ritualistic abuse may have been a product of suggestive interviewing techniques.

During this period, the justice system also failed to recognise the harmful impact of the court process on young children. Whilst screens or CCTV technology are a common feature of child sexual assault trials today, children in the early 1980s were typically forced into direct visual contact with the accused abuser whilst in court. Early efforts to address a young child's anxiety over confronting their accused abuser sometimes provided grounds for a successful appeal. For instance, the convictions of Cheryl and Violet Amirault for offences relating to ritual child sexual abuse were successfully appealed on the basis that two complainant children, aged 5 and 8, were permitted to angle their chairs away from the defendants after expressing considerable fear at facing them directly ^[40].

In the McMartin ritual abuse case, children as young as ten were subject to hostile cross-examination for over two weeks. ^[41] The harms caused to child witnesses in the McMartin case sparked a significant program of legislative reform to recognise the vulnerable and intimidated nature of complainant children in the justice system. It also catalysed a broad agenda of research into the nature of children's testimony and the reliabilty of their oral evidence in court. The findings of this research is somewhat ambiguous, suggesting that neither children nor adults are immune to suggestive interviewing techniques, however, even extremely suggestive techniques do not inevitably lead to false reports ^[42]. Other research has demonstrated that children can accurately remember and report past experiences over long periods of time, however, this capacity is dependent on developmental differences linked to age ^[43].

The controversy over multiple personalities and SRA

In the 1980s, children and adults with a life history of ritualistic abuse were presenting to healthcare providers with uncanny alterations to their consciousness, memories and identities. They were often unresponsive or resistant to forms of treatment that had proven effective with other survivors of child abuse ^[44], and they demonstrated higher levels of distress and trauma-related symptoms ^[45]. In particular, children and adults with a history of ritualistic abuse were found to be extremely dissociative, and they were increasingly being diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) ^[46]. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Overview In psychiatry, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is the current name of the condition formerly listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) and Multiple Personality Syndrome. ...

MPD was a recognised as a psychological illness in the 1980 publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), but it was a controversial diagnosis that had previously been considered extremely rare. As children and adults disclosing a history of SRA presented to healthcare providers with increasing frequency, diagnoses of MPD increased accordingly. Amongst those sceptical of MPD and/or SRA, the correlation between the two was seen as further evidence that people disclosing a history of SRA were not reliable witnesses to their own lives, and that the professionals providing them with care and support were engaged in malpractice ^[47]. MPD may refer to: Multiple personality disorder, presently known as dissociative identity disorder. ... The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a handbook for mental health professionals that lists different categories of mental disorder and the criteria for diagnosing them, according to the publishing organization the American Psychiatric Association. ... Positive linear correlations between 1000 pairs of numbers. ...

Criticisms of MPD (now called Dissociative Identity Disorder) have largely died away following numerous research studies and meta-analyses confirming the construct validity of the diagnosis ^[48], and the standardisation of evidence-based treatment for the disorder ^[49]. Howewer, the reliability of memories of SRA elucidated by clients in treatment for MPD has been a major point of contention in the popular media and amongst clinicians. Many healthcare professionals continue to express considerable ambivalence over the reliability of narratives of SRA provided by patients, although most acknowledge that such a narrative is likely to be indicative of serious victimisation and trauma. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), as defined by the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), is a mental condition whereby a single individual evidences two or more distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment. ...

The controversies over SRA and MPD have prompted a significant program of research into the reliability of early memories of extreme trauma, the findings of which suggest that such material is encoded differently in the brain, and that the accuracy of it’s recall is impacted upon by the other consequences of early trauma, including dysregulation of affect and impulses, somatisation, and profound changes to self-perception, psychosocial wellbeing and systems of meaning ^[50].

Literature and other media

Popular culture

The SRA panic also targeted role-playing games, especially Dungeons & Dragons, as a cause of ritual abuse. Science fiction writer Michael Stackpole has written an extensive report about this movement.^[51] This article is about games in which one plays the role of a character. ... “D&D” redirects here. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Michael Stackpole (born 1957) is, among other things, a science-fiction author best known for his Star Wars and Battletech books. ...

Patricia Pulling, who claimed that her son killed himself because he played Dungeons & Dragons, had stated that these games are secret instructions for suicide and Satanic abuse, or a "back door to Satanism." She later obtained a private investigator's license and launched a crusade against roleplaying (although she often appeared to erroneously believe the term was interchangeable with 'Dungeons & Dragons', the dominant game on the market). Patricia Pulling was the founder of Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons (BADD). ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ...

One of the best known and most parodied of Jack Chick's tracts, Dark Dungeons, echoes this viewpoint. First published in 1984, the tract remains in print as of 2006, although it has been revised (the original version also claimed that the works of devout Roman Catholic J. R. R. Tolkien and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis were "occult books", because they could be found in occult book stores.) In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Jimmy Akins rendition of Jack Chick. ... This article is about the year. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English philologist, writer and university professor, best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. ... Apologists are authors, writers, editors of scientific logs or academic journals, and leaders known for taking on the points in arguments, conflicts or positions that are either placed under popular scrutinies or viewed under persecutory examinations. ... Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ...

The television series The X-Files often referenced the SRA panic early in its run, when Agent Dana Scully frequently tried to discredit allegations of SRA in certain episodes. The X-Files is a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter, which first aired on September 10, 1993, and ended on May 19, 2002. ... Special Agent Dr. Dana Katherine Scully (born February 23, 1964) is a fictional character on the FOX television series The X-Files (1993-2002), played by Gillian Anderson. ...

Literature

The earliest modern account of Satanic ritual abuse can be found in Freud's letters regarding his therapeutic work with a patient named Emma Eckstein. Eckstein described to Freud experiences similar to the ritual abuse survivors of the last few decades, which included sexual abuse and ritual bloodletting.^{[citation needed]} Freud was so disturbed by these disclosures that he theorised "we may have before us a residue of a primaeval sexual cult".^{[citation needed]} Sigmund Freud (IPA: ), born Sigismund Schlomo Freud (May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939), was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology. ... Emma Eckstein (1865 - 1924) was an early patient of Sigmund Freud who underwent disastrous nasal surgery, undertaken by Freuds friend and confidant, Wilhelm Fliess. ...

A more recent account of ritual Satanic torture was the book Michelle Remembers, written by Michelle Smith and her psychiatrist (and later husband) Lawrence Pazder and published in 1980. It was accompanied by features in People magazine and the National Enquirer, as well as numerous appearances on radio and television. Smith claims to have memories of seeing ritual human sacrifice, various forms of torture, and contact with supernatural beings. She has not produced corroborating evidence of these allegations, and both of Michelle's sisters and her father have denied everything in her book.^[52][53] Michelle Remembers was written by Dr. Lawrence Pazder, a late (April 30, 1936 - March 5, 2004) Canadian psychiatrist, and co-author and psychiatric patient Michelle Smith. ... Michelle Smith (born September 27, 1949; maiden name Proby) is a Canadian author. ... Lawrence Pazder is a late (April 30, 1936 - March 5, 2004) Canadian psychiatrist and a co-author (with Michelle Smith), of Michelle Remembers. Dr. Pazder, a charismatic and popular psychiatrist, was born in Edmonton, Alberta. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The National Enquirer is a national American supermarket tabloid. ... A legendary creature is a mythical or fantastic creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ...

This book was followed in 1987 by Nightmare: uncovering the strange 56 personalities of Nancy Lynn Gooch authored in collaboration by Gooch, Emily Peterson and Lucy Freeman; and in 1989 by Suffer the Child by psychologist Judith Spencer, who described a patient with similar memories. Both of these books were best-sellers. Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on a list of top-sellers. ...

Lauren Stratford's 1988 Satan's Underground, which detailed her supposed childhood Satanic abuse, was the first book (aside from the 1965 novel Rosemary's Baby) to describe in detail allegations that cultists force young women to serve as "breeders" of babies raised for sacrificial purposes.^[54] Laurel Rose Willson (August 18, 1941 – April 2002) was an American woman from Washington who wrote alleged non-fiction under the alias Lauren Stratford and who later adopted the alias of Laura Grabowski. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... For the film, see Rosemarys Baby (film) Rosemarys Baby is a 1967 horror novel by Ira Levin. ...

Stratford's account is one of the more thoroughly investigated claims of such abuse. Lauren claimed to have given birth to three children in her teens and early twenties. Yet, none of her friends, relatives, or teachers recalled these births or ever seeing her pregnant. However, they did recall her engaging in self-mutilation, while Lauren claimed that her scars were the product of her torture at the hands of Satanists. The year of her father's death was also inconsistently reported: Stratford claimed it was 1983 while the official record and all other testimony pointed to 1965 as the correct date. The team of journalists who discovered these inconsistencies published them in Cornerstone magazine as Satan's Sideshow in 1990. Satan's Underground was subsequently withdrawn from print by its publishers. Parturition redirects here. ... This article is about human pregnancy in biological females. ... http://www. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Cornerstone is a quarterly journal published by Jesus People USA covering faith issues with an emphasis on politics and culture. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ...

In her book Ghost Girl (1991), child psychologist Torey Hayden writes about a girl named "Jadie" who attended her class for mentally ill children. Jadie repeatedly spoke about participating in events which may have been either satanic ritual abuse, or a series of films about same in which she had taken part. The book's focus is not ritual abuse, but rather the difficulty professionals have in interpreting bizarre or unusual behavior. Authorities never discovered the truth about Jadie's claims, but she was eventually taken away from her parents and placed in a foster home. The book was a source in a case of false accusations of incest and ritual murder in Sweden in 1999. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Torey Hayden (born 1951 in Livingston, Montana, USA) is a child psychologist, special education teacher, university lecturer and writer who has written books about children under her care. ... Ritual murder is murder performed in a ritualistic fashion or on a basis of rituals. ...

A 1995 German book Vier Jahre Hölle und Zurück (Four Years of Hell and Back), by an author using the pseudonym "Lukas", describes purported first-hand experiences of a teenager who inadvertently became a member of a Satanist sect and later escaped. He wrote that he was subjected to various forms of torture and was forced to commit crimes. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 2006 David Frankfurter, professor of religious studies and history at the University of New Hampshire published Evil Incarnate: Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy and Ritual Abuse in History. He concludes that "No forensic evidence" on SRA "has ever been found".^[55] Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Many other personal accounts of Satanic ritual abuse exist, some of which allege the existence of an SRA conspiracy. With the rise of the Internet, stories of Satanic abuse, often very graphic and disturbing, can be found online.

Parallels to reports of alien abduction

California-based therapist Gwen Dean noted 44 parallels between alleged alien abductions and Satanic ritual abuse. Both emerged as widespread phenomena in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and both often use hypnosis to recover lost or suppressed memories. The Abduction Phenomenon is as umbrella term used to describe a number of kidnap individuals--sometimes called abductees--usually for medical testing or for sexual reproduction procedures. ...

Furthermore, the scenarios and narratives offered by abductees and SRA victims feature many similar elements:

• Both are typically said to begin when the experiencer is in his/her youth.
• Both are said to involve entire families and to occur generationally.
• The alien examination table that is reported as similar to the Satanic altar in those accounts.
• Both phenomena feature a strong focus on genitals, rape, sexuality and breeding.
• Witnesses often report that the events happen when they are in altered states of consciousness.
• Both phenomena feature episodes of "missing time" when the events are said to occur, but of which the victim has no conscious memory.^[57]

See also

• Blood libel
• Bob Larson
• Chick Publications
• Day care sexual abuse hysteria
• False allegation of child sexual abuse
• False memories
• Mike Warnke
• Phantom social workers
• Recovered memory therapy
• Satanic ritual abuse and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Snuff film
• Witch-hunt
• File 18

Blood libels are unfounded allegations that a particular group eats people as a form of human sacrifice, often accompanied by the claim of using the blood of their victims in various rituals. ... Bob Larson (born 1944 in McCook, Nebraska) is a radio and television evangelist, currently based in Colorado. ... Chick Publications is an American publishing company run by Jack Chick which produces and markets Protestant fundamentalist pamphlets, DVDs, VCDs, videos, books, and posters. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Satanic ritual abuse. ... False allegations of child sexual abuse are allegations of child sexual abuse that occur as a result of both intentional and unintentional coaching, misinterpretation of events, poor interviewing techniques,[1] psychologically disturbed accusers, or conscious manipulation by the accuser. ... A false memory is a memory of an event that did not happen or is a distortion of an event, as determined by externally corroborated facts of the event. ... Michael Alfred Mike Warnke (born November 19, 1946 in Evansville, Indiana) is a Christian evangelist and comedian who became one of evangelical Christianitys best-known experts on the subject of Satanism until an investigation concluded his involvement with Satanism was a hoax. ... The term Phantom Social Workers (also known as Bogus Social Workers) arose in the UK and US due to sporadic reports to police and media by members of the public, usually women (very rarely men), claiming to be social workers and attempting to take babies and infants from their parents... Recovered memory therapy (RMT) is a psychotherapy that was developed in the 1980s as a way to recover “lost” childhood memories of abuse, as well as other memories of neglect and abuse. ... In the 1980s and 1990s, some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints complained to church leaders that they have been subjected to Satanic ritual abuse by family members and other members of the church. ... A snuff film, or snuff movie, depicts the actual killing of a human being - a human sacrifice (without the aid of special effects or other trickery) perpetrated for the medium of film for the purpose of entertainment. ... A witch-hunt is a search for suspected witches; it is a type of moral panic. ... File 18 is the title of a law enforcement newsletter published by Lt. ...

References

The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Daniel Goleman (born March 7, 1946) is an internationally renouned author, psychologist, science journalist and corporate consultant. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Wichita Eagle is the primary newspaper for the city of Wichita, Kansas and the surrounding area. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Elaine Showalter (1941- ) is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Norman Cohn, also known as Norman Rufus Colin Cohn, (born 12 January 1915) is British academic, historian and writer, now Emeritus Astor-Wolfson Professor at the University of Sussex. ... The Princeton University Press is a publishing house, a division of Princeton University, that is highly respected in academic publishing. ... For the song by Xzibit, see Los Angeles Times (song). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also The New York Times, The Times of India, or The Irish Times. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Child abuse and neglect at the New York Times
• Kenneth V. Lanning: Investigator's Guide to Allegations of Ritual Child Abuse (1992 FBI report)
• Geraldo Rivera's Influence on the Satanic Ritual Abuse and Recovered Memory Hoaxes at Religious Tolerance
• Entry in Skeptic's Dictionary
• Satanic Media Watch and News Exchange, featuring articles debunking the myth of Satanic Ritual Abuse.
• Conviction List: Ritual Child Abuse at Believe The Children
• Satanism and Ritual Abuse Archive The cases describe legal proceedings held in Juvenile, Family, Civil and Criminal Courts around the world where there have been allegations of Satanism or the use of Ritual to abuse others, at News Making News
• Lucifer's Lodge: Satanic Ritual Abuse in the Catholic Church
• Documented Cases of Satanic Ritual Abuse at a Tripod page