Message #8 board "P_Metaphysical (Mag Articles)"
Date : 22-Jan-93 15:57
From : Simon Novali
To   : All
Subj : Lanning (5 of 11)

attention and affection, coercion, blackmail, embarrassment, 
threats, and violence. In almost all of these cases I have studied, 
the victims described being frightened and reported threats against 
themselves, their families, their friends, and even their pets. They 
reported witnessing acts of violence perpetrated to reinforce this 
fear. It is my belief that this fear and the traumatic memory of the 
events may be another key to understanding many of these cases.

---- (4) BIZARRE OR RITUALISTIC ACTIVITY.

This is the most difficult dynamic of these cases to describe. 
"Bizarre" is a relative term. Is the use of urine or feces in sexual 
activity bizarre, or is it a well-documented aspect of sexual 
deviancy, or is it part of established satanic rituals? As 
previously discussed, the ritualistic aspect is even more difficult 
to define. How do you distinguish acts performed in a precise manner 
to enhance or allow sexual arousal from those acts that fulfill 
spiritual needs or comply with "religious" ceremonies? Victims in 
these cases report ceremonies, chanting, robes and costumes, drugs, 
use of urine and feces, animal sacrifice, torture, abduction, 
mutilation, murder, and even cannibalism and vampirism. All things 
considered, the word "bizarre" is probably preferable to the word 
"ritual" to describe this activity.

When I was contacted on these cases, it was very common for a 
prosecutor or investigator to say that the alleged victims have been 
evaluated by an "expert" who will stake his or her professional 
reputation on the fact that the victims are telling the "truth". 
When asked how many cases this expert had previously evaluated 
involving these four dynamics, the answer was always the same: none! 
The experts usually had only dealt with one-on-one intrafamilial 
sexual abuse cases. Recently an even more disturbing trend has 
developed. More and more of the victims have been identified or 
evaluated by experts who have been trained to identify and 
specialize in satanic ritual abuse.

-- b. CHARACTERISTICS OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL CHILD SEX RINGS.

As previously stated, a major problem in communicating, training, 
and researching in this area is the term used to define "these kinds 
of cases". Many refer to them as "ritual, ritualistic, or ritualized 
abuse of children cases" or "satanic ritual abuse (SRA) cases". Such 
words carry specialized meanings for many people and might imply 
that all these cases are connected to occult or satanic activity. If 
ritual abuse is not necessarily occult or satanic, but is "merely" 
severe, repeated, prolonged abuse, why use a term that, in the minds 
of so many, implies such specific motivation?

Others refer to these cases as "multioffender/multivictim cases". 
The problem with this term is that most multiple offender and victim 
cases do not involve the four dynamics discussed above.

For want of a better term, I have decided to refer to "these kinds
of cases" as "multidimensional child sex rings". Right now I seem to 
be the only one using this term. I am, however, not sure if this is 
truly a distinct kind of child sex ring case or just a case not 
properly handled. Following are the general characteristics of these 
multidimensional child sex ring cases as contrasted with more common 
historical child sex ring cases [see my monograph _Child Sex Rings: 
A Behavioral Analysis] (1989) for a discussion of the 
characteristics of historical child sex ring cases].

---- (1) FEMALE OFFENDERS.

As many as 40-50 percent of the offenders in these cases are 
reported to be women. This is in marked contrast to historical child 
sex rings in which almost all the offenders are men.

---- (2) SITUATIONAL MOLESTERS.

The offenders appear to be sexually interacting with the child 
victims for reasons other than a true sexual preference for 
children. The children are substitute victims, and the abusive 
activity may have little to do with pedophilia [see my monograph 
_Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis_ (1987) for a further 
explanation about types of molesters].

---- (3) MALE AND FEMALE VICTIMS.

Both boys and girls appear to be targeted, but with an apparent 
preference for girls. Almost all the adult survivors are female, but 
day care cases frequently involve male as well as female victims. 
The most striking characteristic of the victims, however, is their 
young age (generally birth to six years old when the abuse began).

---- (4) MULTIDIMENSIONAL MOTIVATION.

Sexual gratification appears to be only part of the motivation for 
the "sexual" activity. Many people today argue that the motivation 
is "spiritual" - possibly part of an occult ceremony. It is my 
opinion that the motivation may have more to do with anger, 
hostility, rage and resentment carried out against weak and 
vulnerable victims. Much of the ritualistic abuse of children may 
not be sexual in nature. Some of the activity may, in fact, be 
physical abuse directed at sexually-significant body parts (penis, 
anus, nipples). This may also partially explain the large percentage 
of female offenders. Physical abuse of children by females is well-
documented.

---- (5) PORNOGRAPHY AND PARAPHERNALIA.

Although many of the victims of multidimensional child sex rings 
claim that pictures and videotapes of the activity were made, no 
such visual record has been found by law enforcement. In recent 
years, American law enforcement has seized large amounts of child 
pornography portraying children in a wide variety of sexual activity 
and perversions. None of it, however, portrays the kind of bizarre 
and/or ritualistic activity described by these victims. Perhaps 
these offenders use and store their pornography and paraphernalia in 
ways different from preferential child molesters (pedophiles). This 
is an area needing additional research and investigation.

---- (6) CONTROL THROUGH FEAR.

Control through fear may be the overriding characteristic of these 
cases. Control is maintained by frightening the children. A very 
young child might not be able to understand the significance of much 
of the sexual activity but certainly understands fear. The stories 
that the victims tell may be their perceived versions of severe
traumatic memories. They may be the victims of a severely 
traumatized childhood in which being sexually abused was just one of 
the many negative events affecting their lives.

-- c. SCENARIOS.

Multidimensional child sex rings typically emerge from one of four 
scenarios: (1) adult survivors, (2) day care cases, (3) 
family/isolated neighborhood cases, and (4) custody/visitation 
disputes.

---- (1) ADULT SURVIVORS.

In adult survivor cases, adults of almost any age - nearly always 
women - are suffering the consequences of a variety of personal 
problems and failures in their lives (e.g., promiscuity, eating 
disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, failed relationships, self-
mutilation, unemployment). As a result of some precipitating stress 
or crisis, they often seek therapy. They are frequently hypnotized, 
intentionally or unintentionally, as part of the therapy and are 
often diagnosed as suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder. 
Gradually, during the therapy, the adults reveal previously 
unrecalled memories of early childhood victimization that includes 
multiple victims and offenders, fear as the controlling tactic, and 
bizarre or ritualistic activity. Adult survivors may also claim that 
"cues" from certain events in their recent life "triggered" the 
previously repressed memories.

The multiple offenders are often described as members of a cult or 
satanic group. Parents, family members, clergy, civic leaders, 
police officers (or individuals wearing police uniforms), and other 
prominent members of society are frequently described as present at 
and participating in the exploitation. The alleged bizarre activity 
often includes insertion of foreign objects, witnessing mutilations, 
and sexual acts and murders being filmed or photographed. The 
offenders may allegedly still be harassing or threatening the 
victims. They report being particularly frightened on certain dates 
and by certain situations. In several of these cases, women (called 
"breeders") claim to have had babies that were turned over for human 
sacrifice. This type of case is probably best typified by books like 
_Michelle Remembers_ (Smith & Pazder, 1980), _Satan's Underground_ 
(Stratford, 1988), and _Satan's Children_ (Mayer, 1991).

If and when therapists come to believe the patient or decide the law 
requires it, the police or FBI are sometimes contacted to conduct an 
investigation. The therapists may also fear for their safety because 
they now know the "secret". The therapists will frequently tell law 
enforcement that they will stake their professional reputation on 
the fact that their patient is telling the truth. Some adult 
survivors go directly to law enforcement. They may also go from 
place to place in an effort to find therapists or investigators who 
will listen to and believe them. Their ability to provide verifiable 
details varies and many were raised in apparently religious homes. A 
few adult survivors are now reporting participation in specific 
murders or child abductions that are known to have taken place.

---- (2) DAY CARE CASES.

In day care cases children currently or formerly attending a day 
care center gradually describe their victimization at the center and 
at other locations to which they were taken by the day care staff. 
The cases include multiple victims and offenders, fear, and bizarre 
or ritualistic activity, with a particularly high number of female 
offenders. Descriptions of strange games, insertion of foreign 
objects, killing of animals, photographing of activities, and 
wearing of costumes are common. The accounts of the young children,
however, do not seem to be quite as "bizarre" as those of the adult 
survivors, with fewer accounts of human sacrifice.

---- (3) FAMILY/ISOLATED NEIGHBORHOOD CASES.

In family/isolated neighborhood cases, children describe their 
victimization within their family or extended family. The group is 
often defined by geographic boundary, such as a cul-de-sac, 
apartment building, or isolated rural setting. Such accounts are 
most common in rural or suburban communities with high 
concentrations of religiously conservative people. The stories are 
similar to those told of the day care setting, but with more male 
offenders. The basic dynamics remain the same, but victims tend to 
be more than six years of age, and the scenario may also involve a 
custody or visitation dispute.

---- (4) CUSTODY/VISITATION DISPUTE.

In custody/visitation dispute cases, the allegations emanate from a 
custody or visitation dispute over at least one child under the age 
of seven. The four dynamics described above make these cases 
extremely difficult to handle. When complicated by the strong 
emotions of this scenario, the cases can be overwhelming. This is 
especially true if the disclosing child victims have been taken into 
the "underground" by a parent during the custody or visitation 
dispute. Some of these parents or relatives may even provide 
authorities with diaries or tapes of their interviews with the 
children. An accurate evaluation and assessment of a young child 
held in isolation in this underground while being "debriefed" by a 
parent or someone else is almost impossible. However well-
intentioned, these self-appointed investigators severely damage any 
chance to validate these cases objectively.

-- d. WHY ARE VICTIMS ALLEGING THINGS THAT DO NOT SEEM TO BE TRUE?

Some of what the victims in these cases allege is physically 
impossible (victim cut up and put back together, offender took the 
building apart and then rebuilt it); some is possible but improbable 
(human sacrifice, cannibalism, vampirism ); some is possible and 
probable (child pornography, clever manipulation of victims); and 
some is corroborated (medical evidence of vaginal or anal trauma, 
offender confessions).

The most significant crimes being alleged that do not *seem* to be 
true are the human sacrifice and cannibalism by organized satanic 
cults. In none of the multidimensional child sex ring cases of which 
I am aware have bodies of the murder victims been found - in spite 
of major excavations where the abuse victims claim the bodies were 
located. The alleged explanations for this include: the offenders 
moved the bodies after the children left, the bodies were burned in 
portable high-temperature ovens, the bodies were put in double-
decker graves under legitimately buried bodies, a mortician member 
of the cult disposed of the bodies in a crematorium, the offenders 
ate the bodies, the offenders used corpses and aborted fetuses, or 
the power of Satan caused the bodies to disappear. 

Not only are no bodies found, but also, more importantly, there is 
no physical evidence that a murder took place. Many of those not in 
law enforcement do not understand that, while it is possible to get 
rid of a body, it is even more difficult to get rid of the physical 
evidence that a murder took place, especially a human sacrifice 
involving sex, blood, and mutilation. Such activity would leave 
behind trace evidence that could be found using modern crime scene 
processing techniques in spite of extraordinary efforts to clean it 
up.

The victims of these human sacrifices and murders are alleged to be 
abducted missing children, runaway and throwaway children, 
derelicts, and the babies of breeder women. It is interesting to 



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 * Origin: The Northern Lights 916-729-0304 (1:203/444)
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