h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was quite surprised not to see any mention in this article of the case in the UK about 10 years ago (sorry, don't know actual dates and places, can anyone help out?) where large numbers of children (again, I can't remember but I'm thinking 20-100) were taken into care after allegations of Satanic Child Abuse.

After a lengthy investigation, it was found that all the claims were false. The social services were slated for breaking up families unnecesarily.

My point being that there are very real dangers in taking these false claims at face value. I'll see if I can find dates and numbers.

Gif

Here we go;

"[March 1991] Social workers and police seized nine children from their homes in the Orkneys in Gestapo-style dawn raids alleging "ritual abuse". This claim had originated from the confessions of other children involved in a normal abuse case. It was alleged a hooded, masked and cloaked figure known as "The Master", who also dressed as a Mutant Ninja Turtle, and who was identified as the local vicar, had led dances around a bonfire at a local quarry. Police seized items associated with "black magic" from the parents' houses. These included a book of erotic poetry, and Oriental statue of a couple making love, a letter written to the tooth fairy by one of the children, and a Guy Fawkes mask! A week later the majority of children placed into care in 1990 following allegations of widespread "ritual abuse" on a Rochdale council estate were returned to their parents. In court the police said they had found no evidence and the social services were criticised for their methods. The Rochdale case was followed by an official statement by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary for the UK, Sir John Woodcock, who said the police had absolutely no evidence that "ritual abuse" existed, He said that concern about the subject had been exaggerated and got out of control. "

Cut-and-pasted from http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc44406/smwane/Britain.htm (hope that link doesn't get moderated), an anti-SRA-claims website, which lists many other examples.

There was a very thorough treatment of all the UK SCA cases in the Fortean Times (if you can still get the book, I think it's in the 'Pigs Could Fly' reprints volume). They were very critical of the attitudes of social workers, some of whom had followed to the letter the recommendations of US workers (who had already been discredited overseas.) The NSPCC also jumped in on the removal of the children (which is why I cannot entirely trust them now...)

Hmm, feel free to fix it:

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/satanic_ritual_abuse