In his book Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend sociologist Jeffrey S. Victor considers the issue connected with the panic in the American society connected with the existence of satanic cults. The author’s thesis is clear: he believes that satanic cults with all the terrors connected with them are non-existent: “None of these claims (is) supported by reliable evidence. My research suggests that they are baseless and misleading. Moreover, these claims exploit widespread fears, particularly the anxieties parents have about their children. The claims are significant, however, because they are themselves the symptoms of serious problems in American society” (Victor, 1993, p.4)
Not only in the 20th century but also centuries ago, and not in a single event, people believed (and keep believing) that satanic cults do exist, and there are terrible evidence of them – animal sacrifice, rituals, abuse of children and adults (including sexual abuse), to name a few. And the public thought regarding this has split in two particular opinions – that there are satanic cults which people should be afraid and aware of, and that all these cults are nothing more than a contemporary legend broadly exploited by the church, press, and activists (Miller, 1993). Many researchers, as well as police, and FBI, support Victor’s opinion as the issue seems more of universal panic, the attempt to somehow justify, or rather explain the atrocities that happen in our society, the cruelty of actions the criminals perform (whether they are adults or teenagers) (O’Mara, 1997).
Why did the problem of satanic cults interest Victor in the first place? As he himself mentioned, his son once received death threats, and this led the author to start investigating into the situation (Miller, 1993). What Victor has found out through his research is disturbing. It is impossible to deny that child sexual abuse exists, and that cold-blooded murders exist. People who perform them are at times proved to be mentally unstable, in other cases they are perfectly sane but are ridden by other motives such as passion, jealousy, revenge, to name a few (O’Mara, 1997). But associating them and their crimes to satanic cults, in Victor’s opinion, is simplifying the terrifying cases and their motives.
Opponents of the ‘satanic cult’ opinion rather believe this is an attempt to find a simpler solution and to name a common reason and a scapegoat for crimes committed. The reason for spreading of such beliefs is rather a crisis in a society, economic and social, complicated by family issues (Richardson, Best, & Bromley, 1991, p.223). Anxiety in societies spreads, and with rumors of satanic cults it acquires a vector, people find what or who to blame. Many institutions – press, police, and mental therapists – exploit the problem to their own benefits: to scare the public, to raise hatred, to attract more clients and earn more money (Miller, 1993).
It is also dishonest and impossible to deny that the proven victims have not been abused, but their cases are almost always hoaxed and connected with satanic cults when there are no grounds and empiric evidence for that (Dornan, 1993). The story of the satanic sex cult in Kidwelly, Wales (“Kidwelly sex cult,” 2011), appears to be the case of a gang of pedophiles. The case however was conveniently publicized in press as the story of satanic cult, as well as stories of Lazaro Galindo from Miami, having killed a romantic rival (“Satanic killer gets life in prison,” 2007), or of Jose Reyes from Houston, who has violently raped and murdered a 15-years old girl with the help of her classmate. In the latter case the teenagers admitted that they had killed the girl so they could sell their souls to the Devil (Zennie, 2014).
The courts and jurors seldom come at true reasons for such homicides, especially when the criminals themselves claim their belonging to a satanic cult of a kind. This is what can raise controversy and questions regarding Victor’s theory, a con of it, since if people state themselves to be Satanists, use certain rituals and tools, the society tends to believe them.
On the other hand, there do exist satanic cults which are however not illegal, according to Lt. Terry Katz (O’Mara, 1997). Practicing certain ‘alternative religions’ is not prohibited. “They practice these religions, and what remains after their rituals, maybe feathers, or bones, or coins – to an individual not familiar with this, it looks like Satanism” (O’Mara, 1997). But unless they do not kill people or animals, or perform violent acts, or draw pentagrams on property, it is not against the law. Therefore, each and every case should be considered with all care and attention, in order to define whether the suspect is mentally disturbed, has definite motives or is a member of a cult in accordance with which one acts and performs abusive acts. Teenage boys might kill girls after having raped them and then make the scene look like a scene of a satanic ritual (Zennie, 2014). Same is done when murders occur, and criminals want to confuse the police (O’Mara, 1997).
On their own part, journalists often seek publicity writing juicy stories. It is convenient to make up a satanic scandal, which will help the news source sell well. In similar fashion, mental therapists should be very careful supporting victims of violent crimes so not to impose thoughts connected with satanic context (O’Mara, 1997). Interpretation matters.
The stories about satanic cults performing terrible acts, abusing people, sacrificing children, murdering and conducting disgusting rituals should at all times be double-checked. It will help police in their investigations and help avoid panic in society where rumors spread fast and urban legends are made up easily, especially on the fruitful grounds of anxiety and instability.
References:
Dornan, C. (1993, September 4). The devil or delusion?; Either satanic cults are victimizing thousands of people or North America is in the grip of an insidious hysteria. The Gazette, p.13.
Kidwelly sex cult: Town unaware of ‘evil pedophile’. (2003, March 9). BBC News. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-12677043
Miller, J. (1993, July 11). Satanism: Just a case of urban folklore? Sociology: Author Jeffrey Victor gives devil-worshiping rumors their due. Orange County Register, p. F23.
O'Mara, R. (1997, November 1). Cult or no cults, people get edgy; satanism: Rumors abound and reports of lurid crimes produce sensational headlines. But police experts who should know say that satanic cult activity is uncommon. Not everyone agrees. The Sun, p.2A.
Richardson, James T., Best, J., & Bromley, D. G. (1991). The Satanism scare. New York: Transaction Publishers.
Satanic killer gets life in prison. (2007, September 21). Jacksonville. Available from: http://jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/092107/D8RQ5B3G0.shtml
Victor, J. S. (1993). Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend. Chicago, IL: Open Court Publishing Company.
Zennie, M. (2014, February 11). Sickening smile of a teen accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering 15-year old girl in ‘satanic ritual’ so his friend could ‘sell his soul to the Devil’. Mail Online. Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2556446/The-sickening-smile-teen-accused-satanic-ritual-murder-15-year-old-girl-kidnapped-raped-bashed-death-lid-toilet.html
