> ## Goverment Studies On Childhood Ritual Abuse

> ### Reasons for Government Studies

> There is an immense reservoir of belief that underground Satanic "cults" are kidnapping, ritually abusing and killing children. A poll in Utah revealed that over 90% of adults believe that Satanic Ritual Abuse is happening in their state.

> One book on Satanic Ritual Abuse (5) estimated that by the late 1980s. various levels of governments, the FBI, state and local law enforcement had spent in excess of $200 million in a fruitless search for these nonexistent groups.

> A single rumor can trigger a full Satanic Panic in just about any North American community. (1) Two recent examples from our area of Eastern Ontario were:

> - Ottawa ON: In 1996-JUN, a newborn baby was abandoned by its mother, left in a wooded area and attacked by wild animals. This almost triggered a public panic about ritual killings by Satanists.
> - Kingston ON: An illegal dog-fighting club dumped the carcass of the losing dog by the roadside. It was badly gashed during the fight. Within a few days, after a representative of the local dog shelter fingered Satanists, a panic began to build. The one dog became rumors of many dogs. The police began to receive phone inquiries from hundreds of miles away concerning Satanic groups in the area. Local Wiccans (incorrectly) warned each other that the police were picking up for questioning anyone who wore "occult jewelry".

> Sometimes, Satanic panics can increase in intensity or frequency to the point where a City, State or Federal government will order a study or hold an inquiry. Some examples are:

> - US Government funded study, 1994
> - UK Government funded study, 1994
> - FBI report, 1992
> - San Diego Grand Jury report, 1992
> - Utah inquiry, 1995
> - Netherlands advisory report, 1997

> Other studies were conducted by Governments of Virginia (2, 3), of Michigan, and the Netherlands (4). All reached the same conclusion that Satanic/Sadistic ritual abuse does not exist as a significant problem in their areas. One family involved in incest with a male child during Satanic rituals was found during the US Government funded study. One case of Satanic Ritual Abuse involving torture of children and simulated murder of infants was found during the Utah investigation. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations precluded prosecution.

> ### References

> 1. Jeffrey Victor, Satanic Panic, Open Court, Chicago, 1993
> 2. Crime Commission Task Force Studying Ritual Criminal Activity, Final Report of the Task Force Studying Ritual Crime (Richmond, VA; 1991)
> 3. State Task force Finds No Major Cult Activity, Richmond New Leader, Aug. 15, 1991.
> 4. Minister of Justice, Report of the Ritual Abuse Work Group, 1994-Apr, PO Box 20301, 2500EH, The Hague, Netherlands (In Dutch. Found that ritual abuse exists only in the mind; it has no basis in fact.)
> 5. Carlson and O'Sullivan, "Satanism in American: How the Devil Got Much More than His Due"