Ritualistic Child Abuse
by Sylvia Lynn Gillote, Esq.
archived 02-028-00
Archive file re022800a
Contents
Note
that endnote references (superscript numbers in the text) are clickable
and lead to the endnotes; once there, clicking [ref] returns to the note
reference in the text.
From Kathleen Sullivan
The Author and Copyright
Definition and Common Elements
General Categories
Myths and Realities Concerning Ritual Child Abuse
Conclusion
Notes
From:
Kathleen Sullivan
I will also soon be typing up a front-page article that Sylvia Gillotte,
Esq. (S.C. gov's office, guardian ad litem for ritual abuse victims)
wrote for a "Believe the Children" newsletter about ritual
abuse. I got her express permission to put the article out via the net.
This article is being posted with the original author's express
permission. It was printed in the Fall, 1996 "Believe the
Children" newsletter. "Believe the Children," a nonprofit
organization, can be contacted at P.O. Box 797, Cary, IL 60013. Their
voice mail # is (630) 515-5432.
Contents
Sylvia
Lynn Gillotte is Chairman of the Resource Manual Project, Officer of the
Governor, Guardian Ad Litem Program, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
This article was reprinted by permission of the author [to Kathleen
Sullivan] from "Representing Children in Family Court: A Resource
Manual for Attorneys and Guardians Ad Litem," a publication of the
South Carolina Bar.
Copyright 1993, 1995. The author [Sylvia Lynn Gillotte] retains all
rights related to the republishing of this material for professional and
educational purposes. This material can only be used by express
permission of the author. Requests should be directed to the author
through the South Carolina Bar, Continuing Legal Education Division,
Attention: Publications Division, P.O. Box 608, Columbia, SC 29202-0608.
Contents
Ritual
abuse is an extremely sadistic form of child abuse and neglect. Although
accounts of such abuse date back several centuries,1
it is a phenomenon which has only recently been widely publicized and
recognized. Modern revelations concerning the existence of ritual abuse
have coincided with our increased awareness of child abuse in general,
and the recognition of multiple personality and dissociative disorders
by the medical and therapeutic communities.
Because of the nature of the abuse, the diversity of
the perpetrators, and the many manifestations which "ritual
crime" can take, defining ritual abuse is not an easy task and has
been the subject of controversy.2 A
report by the Lost Angeles County Commission for Women, Ritual Abuse
Task Force, defined it as "...a brutal form of
abuse ... consisting of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and
involving the use of rituals."3
It is perhaps more helpful to move beyond definition, and to identify
some common elements which distinguish ritual abuse from other forms of
child abuse. Generally, most cases involving ritualistic child abuse
include the following elements:
- Multiple victims
- Multiple perpetrators
- The use of ritual in
connection with:
- severe physical
abuse and deprivation, and
- sadistic and
painful sexual abuse
- The use of drugs
and/or mind control techniques for the purpose of indoctrination,
domination, and as a deterrent to disclosure.
Contents
As this
Resource Manual focuses on the representation of children in family
court, it is important to distinguish the terms "ritual abuse"
and "ritual crime." Ritual crime is criminal activity which
includes the use of ritual symbols and/or paraphernalia, but does not
necessarily involve the abuse of children. Ritual child abuse, on the
other hand, could be a sub-category of ritual crime, the focus of which
is the deliberate exploitation, programming, and abuse of children.
Participants in ritual crime may act individually, but usually operate
in a group setting. Most groups, also referred to as cults, could be
said to fall into one of several generally recognized categories:
- Dabbler
- Self-styled
- Organized Cults
Individuals who fall into
the first two categories above -- "dabbler" and
"self-styled" -- are rarely the subject of a family court
action and are therefore not the focus of this article. In family court,
you will most likely be dealing with individuals from category three:
specifically, organized cults who are transgenerational in nature. It is
helpful, however, to understand some distinctions between the various
categories.
As a general rule, "dabblers" are young adults who, either in
group or alone, "dabble" in the use of ritual symbols in
connection with certain crimes such as trespassing, theft, vandalism,
the defacing of property, and sometimes animal mutilation and sacrifice.
These young people may or may not be drawn into the more criminal level
of activity engaged in by others. Groups of individuals that fall into
the "self-styled" category are generally more organized,
visibly operate as a unit, and may openly recruit new members. Their
criminal activity is far more serious and sadistic and can include
kidnapping, rape, murder, and torture; however, their victims are
usually adults rather than children. Certain gangs, neo-nazi groups, and
biker groups could be said to fall into this category. One of the most
notorious "self-styled" cult leaders was Charles Manson.
Those in the "dabbler" or "self-styled" categories
almost always leave behind evidence of their criminal activity. In fact,
the crime is often intended to make a "statement" to the
authorities or society. There is no attempt to cover up the crime --
only the clues which might lead to the conviction of a specific
individual or group. Because there is usually evidence on which to base
an investigation, prosecutions of ritual crime in the United States and
elsewhere have involved these first two categories.
"Organized cults,"4
on the other hand, are highly secretive and go to extraordinary lengths
to hide their criminal activity. The size and location of an organized
cult may vary considerably, ranging from a few members in one general
location, to hundreds of members located in different parts of the
world. By necessity, the larger the group, the more organized and
dangerous the cult.
Though organized cults may or may not be
"transgenerational" in nature,5
their criminal activity always involves the abuse of children. Whether
motivated by religious belief, sexual desire, or power, cults function
to provide access to children and protection from criminal prosecution.
In essence, they are organized groups of adults who use ritual, drugs,
and sophisticated mind control techniques in the perpetration of very
sadistic physical and sexual abuse on children. However, it is the use
of mind control techniques to program, dominate, and indoctrinate
victims which most distinguishes ritual abuse from other forms of child
abuse, even those which might otherwise be considered sadistic in
nature.
It is important to note that organized cults often fund
themselves by engaging in a wide range of criminal ctivity that may or
may not be connected to their abuse of children. For example, in a study
of ritual abuse conducted by the University of Colorado at Boulder, 70%
of the survivors surveyed related being forced to participate in child
pornography. An additional 58% were used in child prostitution, while 9%
were used in the trafficking of drugs.6
Other money-making activities by cults have included insurance and
computer fraud, the trafficking of children and weapons, and the use of
blackmail.
While members of some cults may have been criminally prosecuted for
their involvement in some form of criminal activity, their connection to
ritual child abuse has rarely been exposed. Because of their tight-knit
structure and the inability of law enforcement to infiltrate their
ranks, these groups have operated for centuries with virtual impunity.
It is only within the last two and a half decades that informtion
concerning these groups has become public. This is largely due to the
fact that survivors, feeling more optimistic about society's response to
their disclosures, have come forward in greater numbers.
In spite of continuing disbelief, allegations of ritual abuse continue
to be reported by children and adults in every state in thie country, as
well as other countries across the globe. Despite differences in the
locations and ages of victims, the information revealed is strikingly
similar and the experiences related parallel one another. If we are to
continue to deny the existence of ritual abuse in light of these
disclosures, then we must believe in an international conspiracy between
alleged victims who are strangers to one another.
Over the last twelve years, there have been hundreds of day care cases
across the United States which involved allegations of ritual child
abuse. In fact, the discovery and successful prosecution of a number of
these cases has done much to expose cult activity and increase our
awareness. While dare care cases may ultimately be the "Achilles'
heel" of organized cults who desire to expand their power and
influence, there is nonetheless tremendous reluctance on the part of
most victims to come forward. This is primarily due to the response of
the media and the general public.
Along with the very real fear of reprisal or death
associated with disclosure, adult survivors of ritual abuse who come
forward face not only a climate of disbelief, but a lack of support
services as well. Having endured the unspeakable horrors of ritual
abuse, they face further victimization by an entire system in denial.7
Sadly, they most need the services and support which our system purports
to offer.
We face a serious challenge: How can we possibly help the children who
come forward if we are reluctant to believe the adults who disclose? To
the average person, ritual abuse is such an extreme and brutal form of
abuse that it is difficult, if not impossible, to believe. Because the
human psyche does not want to believe that such abuse is possible, the
mind will be drawn to every reason supporting its denial.
Denial prevents us from providing meaningful help to
thousands of victims, the most vulnerable of whom are children. Thus, in
order to address this problem at all levels within the system, we must
move beyond denial by trying to understand the dynamics of ritual child
abuse.8 For most of us, this requires
a major paradigm shift. The following section discusses several myths
associated with ritual child abuse, and the realities underlying this
phenomenon.
Contents
Myth
1: The activities
and the abuse described by alleged victims and survivors are too
horrendous to be believable. Humanity, in general, is incapable of such
organized atrocities.
Reality: Unfortunately, accounts
of child mutilation, infanticide, cannibalism and the use of blood,
feces and urine in ritual ceremonies dates back hundreds of years and
can be found in a number of early pagan cultures.9
The spread of Christianity, Judaism, and other religions into Northern
Europe did not eliminate these ritual traditions. Many groups continued
to practice their earlier beliefs underground, sometimes combining
elements of the old and the new.10
Furthermore, modern history is replete with examples of man's inhumanity
to man, both individually and at an organized level. The Holocaust is a
prime example of the execution, brutal torture and treatment of millions
of innocent people in the name of ideology and belief. The military and
civilian officers who carried out Hitler's directives could be compared
to modern day cult members who must also lead "Jekyll and
Hyde" existences. Also, like organized cults, the success of
Hitler's plan was dependent upon absolute secrecy and the ingenious use
of controlled propaganda and programming.
Myth 2: If ritual abuse truly existed, then
children and adults exposed to such abuse would come forward and expose
the activities of the cult rather than continue to be victimized.
Reality: Most victims and participants in
organized cults are either born into them or recruited at a very young
age. In either case, programming and brainwashing begins very early,
sometimes even in utero. Programming is systematic and brutal, and is
directed at every level of the individual's awareness: physical,
emotional, mental, and spiritual. The use of terror in conjunction with
very sophisticated techniques effectively robs the individual of his/her
will.
The choice of "allegiance to the cult" or "death to self
or others" is the number one reality to any cult member or victim
and serves as the biggest deterrent to disclosure. Survivors who seek
therapeutic help, as well as non-participating individuals who have
discovered the involvement of a spouse or other family member, are often
mislabelled or misdiagnosed as "hysterical,"
"paranoid," or "histronic." In fact, their hysteria
is based upon a very real danger to themselves and to others.
Myth 3: No one could possibly live this
type of existence day in and day out without disclosing or being
discovered.
Reality: Virtually every
individual who survives cult victimization and indoctrination develops
an ability to dissociate. Dissociation is the ability to separate
oneself from one's thoughts, feelings, and actions during an
overwhelmingly traumatic or even life-threatening event or experience.11
This process produces changes in memory and allows the individual to
function as if the trauma had not occurred. In effect, it is the
psyche's way of surviving an otherwise impossible situation while
preserving some area of healthy functioning.
Repeated dissociation may ultimately
result in the development of Multiple Personality Dosorder (MPD). With
MPD, the birth personality (that identity which was in existence prior
to the trauma) retreats during the dissociative process and a series of
separate, fragmented "personalities" develop to take on
specific functions in the outside world. These distinct personalities
are usually referred to as "alters" or "components."
They can be called into action by the individual, or triggered through
programmed response by the cult.12
Because of the function they serve within the individual's psyche, most
alters are not co-conscious with one another and therefore operate
independently within the personality system.13
Dissociation and MPD are conditions
which permit victims of ritual abuse and other severe trauma and abuse
to function in a contradictory or "Jekyll and Hyde" manner --
exhibiting more "normal" personalities by day, and
"ritual" personalities by night. It is impossible to
understand ritual abuse without comprehending the roles that
dissociation and MPD play in the process.14
For example, females are often programmed to be "amnesic"
about their cult involvement during their child-bearing years, ensuring
the cult regular access to any offspring for early indoctrination.15
Thus, the development of dissociation and MPD are an intended result of
ritual abuse and are induced through the use of sophisticated mind
control techniques involving overwhelming pain, torture, and terror.
Consequently, recognition and proper diagnosis of these conditions by a
professional experienced in the treatment of MPD and dissociative
disorders is essential. Otherwise, successful investigation and
treatment cannot be undertaken.
Myth 4: If there is no physical or tangible
evidence of ritual abuse to support an allegation, then the abuse did
not occur.
Reality: Unfortunately, there will rarely
be physical evidence to substantiate allegations of abuse involving
transgenerational cults. Unlike criminal investigations involving
dabblers and self-styled cultists which might produce ritual
paraphernalia or even mitilated victims, transgenerational cults are
highly organized and extremely secretive concerning their activities.
Ritual sites and ceremonial implements are carefully guarded before,
during, and after ritual ceremonies. Since the successful operation of
the cult is dependent upon absolute secrecy, thorough and systematic
disposal of any and all evidence is routine.
It is also often difficult to obtain conclusive
medical evidence supportive of a child's allegations of ritual physical
and sexual abuse.16 Most cults use
very sophisticated abuse, torture, and mind control techniques which are
difficult to detect. For example, during the abuse and programming of
children, cults may use the following: electro-shock; pins and needles
which are inserted under the fingernails or into sexual or other
orifices of the body; knife cuts or burns into the scalp, onto the soles
of the feet, or in the creases of the skin; as well as injuries designed
to be explainable by otherwise acceptable means.
While evidence of sexual abuse may be more apparent with the use of a
colposcope (i.e., repeated multiple perpetrator abuse is more likely to
leave scarring in the vaginal and areas in children), most cults have
physicians who treat and effectively cover up evidence of abuse. In
addition, it is important to understand that cults prime infants early
on for sexual penetration using special instruments designed to stretch
the vagina and anus in a gradual, non-traumatic manner.
It is critical to remember that children who are victims of ritual abuse
rarely disclose such abuse until they re far removed from their abusers,
both in space and in time. In fact, it is common for children not to
reveal the ritual aspects of their abuse until they have been removed
from their home for a substantial period of time following more limited
allegations of abuse. Such delays further reduce the likelihood of
obtaining conclusive medical evidence by way of sexual abuse examination
or drug screen.
Unfortunately, those uneducated regarding the dynamics of ritual abuse
refuse to believe some children as a result of the extreme delay in
disclosure and lack of independent medical evidence. Thus, it is
important to be aware that children subjected to the degree of pain and
torture commonly used by perpetrators of ritual abuse are terrorized
into silence and have a great deal of difficulty relating their abuse.
Myth 5: If ritual abuse were a reality,
then we would find the remains of victims or at least have a record of
the rexistence and disappearance.
Reality: Organized cults
have their own unique methods and systems for disposing of bodies and/or
body parts. Many cults either own or have access to a crematorium, and
are assisted by cult physicians and/or coroners who cover up the cause
of death of their victims. Less sophisticated methods for body disposal
which have been used effectively are lime or acid pits, as well as tree
shredders.17
In many cults, members must pledge ultimate allegiance to the cult by
offering up their first-born child for sacrifice. This usually occurs
during early adolescence, when the young female is impregnated by a cult
member during an important ritual. Early labor is often induced by
saline injection (e.g., at 6 months gestation) and the fetus is then
offered in a dedication ceremony. Because of the size of the fetus at
delivery, pregnancy is rarely suspected by the outside world.
Commonly, infant victims who are to be used in sacrificial rites are
routinely provided by "breeders" within the cults themselves.
As with the first-born babies of cult members, there is never any record
of these children's existence, much less their deaths. Other victims
used by cults are the result of baby trafficking, kidnapping, and the
seduction of unsuspecting runaways and vagrants.
Myth 6: It is inconceivable that teachers,
ministers, doctors, lawyers, judges, policemen, sheriffs, pharmacists,
undertakers, etc., would become involved in cults.
Reality: It is true that, as a general
rule, members of these professions have no inclination to join cults.
Occasionally, however, cults do recruit such individuals through the use
of deceptive methods and blackmail. For example, cult members might
actively engate an individual they feel would be receptive to illegal
activity (i.e., drugs, child pornography, group sex, etc.). After
enticing him/her to participate in that activity, they would
surreptitiously videotape the event. At that point, the public official
or professional would be at the mercy of the cult and could be called
upon at any time, as needed.
The most important thing to understand, however, is that children born
into transgenerational cult families are primed and groomed to enter
certain professions which are critical to the networking and protection
of the cult. Therefore, the professions listed above are among those
highly pursued by cult members. The greater the number of prominent
members of the community in a cult, the less likely that the cult will
ever be discovered; or if discovered, that there will be a successful
prosecution.
Myth 7: If highly organized
transgenerational cults have been in existence for hundreds of years,
then surely they would have been infiltrated or penetrated by now.
Reality: The very nature and structure of
ritualistic cults prohibit their infiltration. In order for a law
enforcement officer or investigator to penetrate a cult, he/she must
first earn the trust of group members by engagin in illegal and
offensive activity which would include the drinking of blood and urine,
the eating of feces, and the participation in animal sacrifice at a
minimum. Only after repeated tests and trials involving the individual
would he/she be permitted to participate in more intimate and heinous
rites involving child sexual abuse, mutilation, and sacrifice.
The secret of cults has been kept for a very long time and the majority
of activities which have been exposed only involve criminal acts related
to money-making endeavors. These have included trafficking of children,
weapons, narcotics, child pornography, and other crimes such as
insurance and computer fraud. The bottomless pit of financial resources
to which cults have access also makes them less vulnerable to attack.
Myth 8: Therapists and other adults are
putting these outrageous ideas in the minds of children and making them
believe that they have actually experienced these abuses.
Reality: Unfortunately, the focus of the
media following reports of ritual abuse in day care cases across this
country has been to question the veracity and integrity of not only the
child victims, but the parents and professionals who are working to
protect the children as well.
Children who are abused in day care settings react in the same manner as
children who have been terrorized into silence as members of
transgenerational cults. When a concerned parent or therapist who is
dealing with the emotional and psychological aftermath manages to make
the child feel safe enough to make a disclosure, the system responds for
discounting the allegations on the basis that the disclosure was not
made at the onset of the therapeutic process.
It is critical to understand that the terror and
intimidation used by ritual abuse perpetrators is designed to be so
severe that the children involved will not disclose their victimization
to anyone. Extreme delay in disclosure is the "norm" in cases
of ritual abuse, and should never be used to discredit a child's
allegations. As has been very aptly stated by Dr. Catherine Gould, a
national expert in the area of ritual child abuse: "...you can
abuse a hundred children ritualistically, with all the overlay of
terror...and pretty much a hundred children will keep the secret of
their abuse until there is some kind of intervention."18
One cannot buy into the argument that children making these allegations
have been brainwashed into relating false statements without somehow
supporting the notion that there is an international conspiracy among
children, parents, therapists and other professionals, to disseminate
similar information for some unknown gain. The fact of the matter is
that parallel reports of such abuse are surfacing in Westernized
countries all over the world, and they are coming from victims of all
ages who have no knowledge of one another.
Brainwashing and conspiracy are a reality in ritual child abuse cases.
However, te culprits are most often members of long-standing, organized
cult, not the therapists and other professionals who are struggling to
assist the ever-increasing number of victims who choose to come forward.
Myth 9: If any part of a child's
allegations concerning ritual abuse is obviously false or insupportable,
then the abuse did not occur.
Reality: Cult members are extremely
intelligent. They understand the legal and judicial process and
carefully design their rituals so that children who might disclose will
be discredited. In addition to the use of various drugs which make
children more compliant and distort their perceptions of reality, cults
have been known to use the following techniques quite effectively:
- Confinement and
isolation, as an effective method of psychological conditioning, is
commonly used by ritual abuse perpetrators. Children often report
have been put in a closet or cage with a lion. In reality, these
children might have been placed with a large lion-like dog, or human
dressed in a lion costume. When this experience is combined with the
use of sound effects and hallucinogens, the experience seems very
real to the child. This deceptive method ensures absolute terror and
compliance, while at the same time, discrediting the child should
there be subsequent disclosure.
- Children frequently
report having been taken by train, boat, submarine or airplane to a
specific location to participate in ritual activity. Often they are
blindfolded and only told the name of the location after they have
arrived.
In reality, such transporation may only have been simulated, and a
false location given. Or the child may, in fact, have been in a
plane which flew in a circle for 20 minutes, with the ultimate
destination falsified. In either case, facts are distorted to
discredit later disclosures.
- The use of cartoon
characters and hero figures in costume is frequently reported, and
is especially effective with very young victims. Children who
disclose abuse in these settings are assumed to be dealing with
nightmares at a fantasy level.
- Transgenerational
cults have their own additional protective techniques. For example,
many of the perpetrators attending a given ritual may, in fact, be
prominent members of their community. To deliberately confuse child
victims, cult members may introduce other adults who are falsely
identified as other well-known public figures.
If and when a subsequent disclosure occurs, the innocent
"perpetrators" who are named come forward with concrete
alibis and are unwittingly used by the cult to discredit any
investigation.
Myth 10:
All ritual abuse is Satanic in nature, and all Satanists engage in
ritual abuse.
Reality: While a majority of ritual abuse
cases which have been reported by child victims and adult survivors do
involve elements normally associated with the worship of Satan, many
cases do not. Of those that do, it is unclear how many profess a genuine
belief in Satan, and how many merely used these ritual rites and
paraphernalia for their dramatic act.
Religious Satanists, both as individuals and as a group, are
constitutionally protected in their right to practice their religious
beliefs. In this country, there are dozens of Satanic churches and
organizations which are legally incorporated and formally recognized.
These groups claim no involvement in the criminal activity and child
abuse which are characteristic of ritual abuse.
Myth 11: Satanism, witchcraft, the New Age
movement, secret brotherhood societies such as the Masons are all
engaged in ritual abuse and cult activity.
Reality: Organized cults have been known to
function and operate out of any group structure which is convenient for
their activities. E.g., because Masons belong to a fraternal society
which practices secret ritual and which extends membership by
invitation, some cults have successfully used them as a cover for their
activity. However, few Masons, New Age philosophers, or self-proclaimed
witches have any real connection to organized cults and ritual abuse. In
fact, the majority of adult survivors of ritual abuse report
victimization by cults which were operated out of well-established
"mainstream" churches in their community.
Contents
Because
the dynamics of ritualistic child abuse differ significantly from the
dynamics of "ordinary" child abuse, we must understand how
these differences should alter our handling of such cases within the
legal system.
First of all, we must be awre that while consistency in a child's
disclosure of abuse is usually a good indicator of veracity,
inconsistency regarding accounts of abuse may be more common in -- and
"consistent with" -- ritualistic child abuse. This is due to
the mind control component which is unique to ritual abuse, and the
impact of dissociation and multiple personality disorder on disclosure.
Furthermore, while children may report some form of victimization during
initial interviews of suspected abuse, the ritual aspects of their abuse
may never be disclosed. When children do disclose ritual abuse, the
extreme delay in disclosure, coupled with perceived
"discrepancies" from original accounts, often results in
system disbelief and a failure to further invetigate and prosecute
additional allegations.
Practitioners also need to be aware that medical and
physical evidence substantiating ritual child abuse is difficult to
obtain, especially in view of the extreme delay in disclosure. While it
may be appropriate to request that toxicology tests and a sexual abuse
examination be conducted on a child, receipt of negative or
non-conclusive results does not negate the child's allegations.19
Nor does the fact that some of the specifics of a child's allegations
can be disproved. (See "Myth 4" and "Myth 9" above).
It <is> thus critical to seek the assistance of professionals with
experience in ritual abuse who might shed light on the child's
allegations.
Finally, once an investigation concerning ritual child abuse has
commenced, the advocate should not be surprised if prosecution of the
charges does not occur. In addition to system denial and evidentiary
considerations, "interested" individuals who may be
well-placed in the system can and should be expected to intervene.
("Myth 6").
Contents
Click
[ref] to go to the reference to the note in the text.
1. [ref] For an excellent discussion
of historical accounts of ritual child abuse in Europe, see
"Believe the Children Newsletter," Volume IX (1992).
2. [ref] Civia Tamarkin, a well-known
freelance journalist, has advocated strongly for a modification of our
lexicon as it relates to ritual (or ritualistic) abuse. Her argument is
that the use of the term "ritual" tends to minimize the more
commonly recognized elements of "sadistic" abuse, and results
in a failure on the part of the media, our legal system, and the public
to appreciate and address the real problem: the sadistic abuse and
exploitation of children by organized perpetrator groups. Furthermore,
the term "ritual" usually has a connotation which implies that
this activity is religiously related and/or motivated. This is often not
the case.
3. [ref] The Task Force Report is an
excellent reference for virtually any professional who works with
children.
4. [ref] I make a distinction between
"organized cult" and "organized crime," which while
also engaged in highly organized and secretive criminal activity, does
not have the additional elements of "ritual symbology" and
sophisticated "mind control programming."
5. [ref] The terms
"transgenerational" or "multigenerational," are
often used to describe groups who participate in this activity and whose
beliefs and practices are passed on, generation after generation. In
such groups, the indoctrination of young children begins very early and
is critical to the perpetuation of ritual practices which can date back
hundreds of years.
6. [ref] The results of this study are
further discussed in Volume IX of "Believe the Children
Newsletter" (1992).
7. [ref] The Appendix
("Professional Articles") contains two articles by ritual
abuse survivors. Their accounts will help you to understand the
psychological devastation which these victims endure.
8. [ref] For an excellent discussion
of this issue, see Catherine Gould's article entitled "Denying the
Ritual Abuse of Children" in the Appendix ("Professional
Articles").
9. [ref] See "Believe the
Children Newsletter," Volume IX (1992), in the Appendix
("Professional Articles").
10. [ref] Many people are not aware
of the fact that dates for several Christian holidays are based upon
early pagan ceremonial dates. For example, Easter is always scheduled
for the first Sunday after the full moon in April. Such scheduling
originated as a compromise between early Christian leaders and the
conquered pagans of Northern Europe.
11. [ref] Dissociation is a common
response to the trauma of child abuse and is not limited to ritual
abuse. When a child is dissociative, he/she exhibits certain behaviors
which are identifiable. Beverly James discusses these behaviors in
"The Dissociatively Disordered Child." See Appendix,
"Professional Articles."
12. [ref] For an excellent
discussion on cult programming, see "Common Programs Observed in
Survivors of Satanic Ritualistic Abuse," by David Neswald.
(Appendix, "Professional Articles").
13. [ref] The South Carolina Supreme
Court demonstrated a remarkable grasp of MPD in its decision of
"Rutherford v. Rutherford," 307 S.C. 199, 414 S.E. 2d 157
(1992). In "Rutherford," the court ruled that a wife's
adultery, committed while under the mental illness of MPD, may not be
grounds for divorce if the party can clearly show the adulterous
personality function at the time did not know she was committing
adultery.
14. [ref] See Dale McCulley's
article entitled "Satanic Ritual Abuse: A Question of Memory,"
Appendix ("Professional Articles").
15. [ref] Very often, mothers whose
children spontaneously disclose ritual abuse by other family members are
initially shocked and surprised by the disclosure. However, as time
passes, the experience may cause what is sometimes referred to as
"bleed-through memory" that is, they begin to remember
incidences involving their own cult victimization and participation.
These women are sometimes hesitant to report or admit their prior
involvement for fear of losing custody of the very children they are
attempting to protect. It is important to remember that these women may
need additional therapy and support themselves.
16. [ref] This is likewise true in
your average child sexual abuse or molestation case. (See evidence
section of manual for Dr. Baker's discussion of medical studies
confirming this fact).
17. [ref] My contact with survivors
in South Carolina and other states in the South reveals that alligators
are commonly used as a means of disposal in these areas.
18. [ref] Remarks from a
"Professional Overview" video produced by Cavalcade
Productions, Ukiah, California. The point here is that even children who
come from families where they have presumably experienced a great deal
of love and nurturing can be terrorized into complete silence by such
abuse. Since it appears that children who are ritually abused and
programmed between the ages of birth and six are at highest risk for
developing complex levels of dissociation and MPD, the implications to
families and children who survive such an experience are enormous.
19. [ref] It may be more effective
to request sexual abuse examinations or toxicology tests on children who
have not yet disclosed ritualistic abuse, but whose behaviors indicate
cause for concern. Toxicology testing such as hair sampling is neither
invasive nor traumatic. Furthermore, hair retains toxicological traces
for an extended period of time, depending on frequency of use.
Contents
source:
http://www.morethanconquerors.simplenet.com/MCF/childrit.htm#r19
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