Thursday 26 June 2008

Paranoia peddlers

The high priestesses of 'satanic child abuse' are at it again. According to this week's Private Eye [1213], a book [Forensic Aspects of Dissociative Identity Disorder], described as "essential reading for professionals in the field of child protection and adult psychotherapy", will soon be published containing articles by several leading proponents of this lurid and - so far as solid evidence is concerned - entirely mythical scenario.

Delusionary these medieval-minded witch-hunters may be; but during the past quarter-century, since the Californian-born cult surfaced in these islands, their inflammatory theorising has wreaked huge suffering upon many totally innocent families. An official government investigation by Professor Jean La Fontaine concluded in 1994 that the existence of satanic ritual abuse was a myth. But its devotees continue to peddle their hysterical tittle-tattle to anyone credulous enough to believe them. Unfortunately, some psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, and police persons do. Judges and juries have rightly proved to be more sceptical.

A close student of this and other child protection panics, including those involving several childrens' homes - most recently in Jersey - is Richard Webster, whose exhaustive analysis of the history of this modern moral panic here and elsewhere [see his blog, linked in my 'friendly places'] is - unlike the forthcoming tome - essential reading for those seeking an informed background to this weird phenomenon.

4 comments:

Jose said...

That Professor La Fontaine must live in another galaxy. Satanist abuse is not a myth it is sheer reality. We have seen too many cases not to realise that it is so.

And the British government should set their feet firmly on the ground.

anticant said...

I must say that I am very surprised at your comment on this, Jose - you are usually so sane and level-headed.

There is no credible evidence for the existence of 'satanic child abuse'. It is a paranoid myth, akin to medieval witch hunts, which has caused immeasurable harm.

Bodwyn Wook said...

ALL Misuse and abuse of children is 'satanic', come to that....

Jose said...

There have been many cases here where Satanic use of rites with children have been proved that I am not going off my path when I assert what I did, Anticant. And I am afraid many of these cases remain untold because of obvious reasons of protection of children's integrity.

There's more behind the curtain than one would think of.