Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-First Century:  
Psychological, Forensic, Social and Political Considerations

Editors: Randy Noblitt and Pamela Perskin Noblitt

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Allegations of ritual abuse are universal and mental health professionals, theologians, law enforcers, scholars, victim advocates, and others struggle to comprehend the enormity of the devastation left in the wake of these heinous acts.

Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-first Century addresses the concerns that naturally evolve from any discussion of this phenomenon from the perspectives of professionals, advocates, and survivors from around the world.

How valid are the survivors’ stories?

Is there evidence?

What are the consequences of these acts to the individual and society?

Why have these allegations been ignored or discredited whenever they have surfaced?

The authors of these chapters respond to these and other questions in an effort to illustrate the constellation of psychological, health, legal, criminal, societal, and spiritual ramifications of ritual abuse. 

Chapters address current issues including ritually based crime, civil suits involving allegations of ritual abuse, that are universal.

The value of understanding ritual trauma for diagnostic and treatment applications is discussed.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Editors’ Dedication ...7

 Foreword

Raphael (US) ... 9

Dana Raphael, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, co-founder with Margaret Mead of the Human Lactation Center, a non-governmental organization, in Westport, Connecticut.  (danaraphael@earthlink.net)

 Introduction

Noblitt (US) ... 11

Chapter 1: Rituals: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Noblitt (US) ... 17

Randy Noblitt, PhD, (Editor), is the Director of the Clinical PsyD Program and Professor, California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in Los Angeles, California and co-author of Cult and Ritual Abuse. (rabuster@aol.com)

Chapter 2: Redefining the Language of Ritual Abuse and the Politics that Dictate It

Noblitt & Perskin-Noblitt (US) ... 21

Pamela Perskin Noblitt, editor, is a researcher and survivor advocate in Los Angeles, California and co-author of Cult and Ritual Abuse. (rabuster@aol.com) & Randy Noblitt, PhD, (Editor), is the Director of the Clinical PsyD Program and Professor, California School ofProfessional Psychology at Alliant International University in Los Angeles, California and co-author of Cult and Ritual Abuse. (rabuster@aol.com)

Chapter 3: Exploring Commonalities Reported by Adult Survivors of Extreme Abuse: Preliminary Empirical Findings

Rutz, Becker, Overkamp, & Karriker (US & GER) ... 31

Thorsten Becker is a researcher, activist, and cult counselor/social worker in Lueneburg, Germany (mail@BeckerTho.de), Wanda Karriker, PhD, is a retired psychologist in North Carolina, and author of Morning Come Quickly. (sandime@twave.net), Bettina Overcamp, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of (complex) dissociative disorders in a hospital setting and since 2006, Board Member of the European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD), & Carol Rutz is a survivor, survivor advocate, and author of A Nation Betrayed. (casey@dmci.net)

Chapter 4: Guidelines to Differential Diagnosis between Schizophrenia and Ritual Abuse/Mind Control Traumatic Stress

Lacter & Lehman (US) ... 85

Ellen P. Lacter, PhD, is a psychologist in San Diego, California. (ellenlacter@earthlink.net)& Karl Douglas Lehman, MD, is a psychiatrist in Evanston, Illinois.

Chapter 5: Out of the Shadows: Re-envisioning the Debate on Ritual Abuse

Salter (Australia) ... 153

Michael Salter is a social worker and PhD candidate in Australia. (msalter@asca.org.au)

Chapter 6: The Politics of the “False Memory” Controversy: The Making of an Academic Urban Legend

Raschke (US) ... 175

Carl Raschke, PhD, is the Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Denver, Colorado, and author of Painted Black. (crascke@DU.edu)

Chapter 7: Interrelated Moral Panics and Counter-panics: The Cult Brainwashing Panic and The False Memory/ Ritual Abuse Moral Panic

Katchen (US) ... 191

Martin Katchen, PhD, is a sociologist, researcher, teacher and author who contributed to Out of Darkness. (katchen@inreach.com)

Chapter 8: Re-Searching for New Perspectives: Ritual Abuse/Ritual Violence as Ideologically Motivated Crime

Becker (GER) ... 235

Thorsten Becker is a researcher, activist, and cult counselor/social worker in Germany. (mail@BeckerTho.de)

Chapter 9: Terrorism is the Ritual Abuse of the Twenty-first Century

Yoeli & Prattos (Israel & Greece) ... 259

Frances R. Yoeli is a psychotherapist and EMDR specialist in Israel yoeli@maoz.org.il & Tessa Prattos, PhD, is a psychologist and EMDR specialist in Athens, Greece. (tessapra@otenet.gr) 

Chapter 10: The RAINS Network in the UK (Ritual Abuse Information Network and Support)

Buck (England) ... 305

Sandra Buck, MD, is a community pediatrician working in an inner city area in Nottingham, England. (sandrabuck2003@yahoo.co.uk)

Chapter 11: Ritual Abuse—A Personal Account And the Unpublished Police Guidelines

Mallard (England) ... 325

Carole Mallard is a retired police officer in Hertfordshire, England.

Chapter 12: The Orkney “Satanic Abuse Case:” Who Cared About the Children?

Nelson (Scotland) ... 335

Sarah Nelson, PhD, is a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

(Sarah.Nelson@ed.ac.uk)

Chapter 13: Our Father Who Art in Hell: A Factual Account

Fröhling (Germany) ... 353

Ursula (Ulla) Brigitte Fröhling is a journalist in Hamburg, Germany.

(froehling@microglobe.com; www.ourfatherinhell.com)

Chapter 14: Where are We Now? Ritual Abuse, Dissociation, Police and the Media

Sinason, Galton, & Leevers (England) ... 361

Valerie Sinason, PhD, is a psychologist in London, England and author of Treating Survivors of Satanist Abuse: An Invisible Trauma, Graeme Galton is a is a Consultant psychoanalytic psychotherapist who works at the Clinic for Dissociative Studies & David Leevers, MSc.,is an engineer and inventor who worked on the European Commission Sustainability Projects and focused on the interface between technology, invention and psychology.

Chapter 15: A Therapeutic Relationship: Shifting Boundaries in the Service of Healing

Brown (South Africa) ... 379

Lorna Joan Brown, PhD, is a psychologist, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (ljwbrown@iafrica.com)

Chapter 16: The Use of Prayer for Inner Healing of Memories and Deliverance with Ritual Abuse Survivors

Ball (US) ... 411

Thomas Michael Ball, EdD, is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Communication at Spring Arbor University and a pastoral counselor in Spring Arbor, Michigan.

(righteousoaks@comcast.net)

Chapter 17: Recognizing and Treating Survivors of Abuse by Organized

Criminal Groups

Miller (Canada) ... 441

Alison Miller, PhD, is a psychologist in British Columbia, Canada. (dralison@shaw.ca)

Chapter 18: Ritual Abuse Survivors: Diverse, Yet Similar

Riseman (US) ... 477

Jean Riseman, is a survivor, survivor advocate, and the editor of Survivorship in

San Francisco, California. (www.survivorship.org, rahome@ra-info.org)

Chapter 19: Patterns in Mind-Control: A First Person Account

Fotheringham (Canada) ... 489

Trish Fotheringham is a survivor in Canada. (rainbowtrish@myself.com)

Chapter 20: Case Studies of Ritual Abuse Survivors: From Abuse to Activism

Adams (US) ... 539

Jeanne Adams is a survivor who has devoted her energies to educating law enforcement agents and agencies and others and advocating for survivors through the organization, Mr. Light and Associates and author of Drawn Swords. (mrlightorg@gmail.com)