Editing Satanic panic (section)

===Investigations===
Two investigations were carried out to assess the evidence for SRA. In the United Kingdom, a government report produced no evidence of SRA, but several examples of false satanists faking rituals to frighten their victims. In the United States, evidence was reported but was based on a flawed method with an overly liberal definition of a substantiated case.

====United Kingdom====
A British study published in 1996 found 62 cases of alleged ritual abuse reported to researchers by police, social and welfare agencies from the period of 1988 to 1991, representing a tiny proportion of extremely high-profile cases compared to the total number investigated by the agencies.<ref>Hughes & Parker in {{harvnb|Bibby|1996|pp=215–230}}.</ref> Anthropologist [[Jean La Fontaine]] spent several years researching ritual abuse cases in Britain at the behest of the government, finding that all of the cases of alleged satanic ritual abuse that could be substantiated were cases where the perpetrators' goal was [[sexual gratification]] rather than religious worship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Satanic Disabuser |last=Kitzinger |first=Celia |date=1995-08-28 |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/94959.article |access-date=2014-10-16 |publisher=[[Times Higher Education]]}}</ref> Producing several reports and the 1998 book ''Speak of the Devil'', after reviewing cases reported to police and children's protective services throughout the country, LaFontaine concluded that the only rituals she uncovered were those invented by child abusers to frighten their victims or justify the sexual abuse. In addition, the sexual abuse occurred outside of the rituals, indicating the goal of the abuser was sexual gratification rather than ritualistic or religious. In cases involving satanic abuse, the satanic allegations by younger children were influenced by adults, and the concerns over the satanic aspects were found to be compelling due to cultural attraction of the concept but distracting from the actual harm caused to the abuse victims.{{sfn |Bibby |1996 |pp=205–13}}<ref>{{cite book |last=LaFontaine |first=J S. |title=The extent and nature of organised and ritual abuse: research findings |publisher=HMSO |location=London |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-11-321797-7 |url=http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=157278}}</ref>

In more recent years, discredited allegations of SRA have been levelled against [[Jimmy Savile]] during [[Operation Yewtree|the posthumous investigation]] into [[Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal|his sexual abuse of children]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=French|first1=Chris|title=Satanic child abuse claims are almost certainly based on false memories|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/nov/18/satanic-child-abuse-false-memories-scotland|access-date=27 February 2017|work=The Guardian|date=18 November 2014}}</ref> as well as against former [[Prime Minister of United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Ted Heath]] (who was previously falsely accused of SRA during his lifetime).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=Martin |title=Sir Edward Heath sex investigation could be shut down as police expert says satanic ritual abuse claims are 'pernicious fabrication' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/26/sir-edward-heath-sex-abuse-investigation-could-shut/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/26/sir-edward-heath-sex-abuse-investigation-could-shut/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=27 February 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=27 November 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

====United States====
{{Further|Day-care sex-abuse hysteria}}
[[David Finkelhor]] completed an investigation of child sexual abuse in daycares in the United States and published a report in 1988. The report found 270 cases of sexual abuse, of which 36 were classified as substantiated cases of ritual abuse.<ref name=Finkelhor/> [[Mary de Young]] has pointed out that the report's definition of "substantiated" was overly liberal as it required only that one agency had decided that abuse had occurred, even if no action was taken, no arrests made, no operating licenses suspended. In addition, multiple agencies may have been involved in each case (including the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], local police, social services agencies and childhood protective services in many cases), with wide differences in suspicion and confirmation, often in disagreement with each other. Finkelhor, upon receiving a "confirmation", would collect information from whoever was willing or interested to provide it and did not independently investigate the cases, resulting in frequent errors in his conclusions. No data is provided beyond case studies and brief summaries.{{sfn |de Young |2004 |p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=_e8ZkJBtz0EC&pg=PA102 102]}} Three other cases considered corroborating by the public<ref name=lat87>{{Cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-13-me-28514-story.html |title = Tales of Satanism Mark Molestation Cases : Children's Macabre Testimony Sometimes Derails Prosecutions|website = [[Los Angeles Times]]|date = 13 December 1987}}</ref>—the [[McMartin preschool trial]], the [[Country Walk case]] and the murders in [[Matamoros, Tamaulipas|Matamoros]], by [[Adolfo Constanzo]]—ultimately failed to support the existence of SRA. The primary witness in the Country Walk case repeatedly made, then withdrew accusations against [[Frank Fuster|her husband]] amid unusual and coercive inquiries by her lawyer and a psychologist.<ref name="nr">{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/09/10/the-last-victim/|title=The Last Victim|date=August 23, 2018 |publisher=[[National Review]] |first=Rael Jean |last=Isaac |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190330232529/https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/09/10/the-last-victim/ |archive-date=2019-03-30 }}</ref> The Matamoros murders produced the bodies of 12 adults who were ritually sacrificed by a drug gang inspired by the film ''[[The Believers (film)|The Believers]]'', but did not involve children or sexual abuse. The McMartin case resulted in no convictions and was ultimately based on accusations by children with no proof beyond their coerced testimonies.{{sfn |Faller |2003 |pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FkT2wTGTUAoC&pg=PA29 29–33]}} A 1990/1991 survey of clinicians, which reviewed 386 allegations of ritual and 191 allegations of religious abuse, described 10% and under 3% of those allegations, respectively, as unfounded following social service investigation.<ref name=Bottoms1996>{{cite journal |last1=Bottoms |first1=B.L. |last2=Shaver |first2=P.R. |last3=Goodman |first3=G.S. |year=1996 |title=An analysis of ritualistic and religion-related child abuse allegations |journal=Law and Human Behavior |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=1–34 |doi=10.1007/BF01499130|citeseerx=10.1.1.414.7819 |s2cid=13979744 }}</ref>

====The Netherlands====
Dutch investigative journalists from ''[[Argos (radio program)|Argos]]'' ([[NPO Radio 1]]) collected the experiences and stories of over two hundred victims of organized sexual abuse. A hundred and forty victims told Argos about ritual abuse. Six well-known people were mentioned as perpetrators by multiple participants in the investigation, and over ten abuse locations. A warehouse in the Bollenstreek was marked as a location for 'storage' and the production of child pornography. During the investigation the ''Argos'' journalists received an anonymous email stating the journalists had to 'beaware' because "they know about your investigation", remarking "they're going to get rid of evidence{{snd}} just like they did with [[Marc Dutroux|Dutroux]]". The same day as the journalists received the e-mail, the warehouse in the Bollenstreek burnt down. According to Argos, the damage had been classified so severe by the fire department, that a cause of fire could not be determined.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vpro.nl/argos/lees/nieuws/2020/glass-shards-and-dark-rituals-english-transcript-.html |title= Shards of glass and dark rituals (English transcript) |work= VPRO |access-date=2020-10-17 }}</ref>

As a response to parliamentary questions following the ''Argos'' investigation, Dutch [[List of ministers of justice of the Netherlands|Minister of Justice and Security]] [[Ferdinand Grapperhaus]] said on August 27, 2020, that there would be 'no independent investigation into Ritual Abuse' of children in The Netherlands.<ref>Ferd Grapperhaus (August 27, 2020), [https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2020/08/27/antwoorden-kamervragen-over-de-uitzending-van-argos-over-ritueel-misbruik Antwoorden Kamervragen over de uitzending van Argos over ritueel misbruik] .</ref> The [[GroenLinks|Green Left]], the [[Socialist Party (Netherlands)|Socialist Party]] and the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] criticized Grapperhaus for his decision.<ref>Sanne Terlingen and Huub Jaspers (September 1, 2020), [https://www.vpro.nl/argos/lees/nieuws/2020/kamerleden-willen-in-debat-over-ritueel-misbruik.html#3d0a651f-4554-4fad-a378-3773e8989a73 Kamerleden willen in debat over Ritueel Misbruik] .</ref>  On October 13, 2020, the Dutch [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]] approved a motion in which the PvdA, GL and the SP requested that an independent investigation be conducted into the nature and extent of "organized sadistic abuse of children", bypassing Grapperhaus' original refusal to investigate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/203828342/onderzoek-naar-ritueel-misbruik|title=Onderzoek naar ritueel misbruik|date=October 13, 2020|website=Telegraaf}}</ref>

In a ''[[Skeptical Inquirer]]'' article JD Sword discusses the outcomes of a subsequent commission appointed by Grapperhaus and led by Jan Hendriks, professor of criminology from the [[Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam|Vrije Universiteit]] in [[Amsterdam]] and associate professor Anne-Marie Slotboom.  In December 2022 Hendriks returned a report which found there is no evidence of organized abuse with ritualistic features and “Overall, victims are the only primary source reporting this type of abuse and no support for its existence is found from other sources.”<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sword |first1=JD |title=Still No Evidence of Satanic Ritual Abuse: VPRO Argos and the Hendriks Commission |journal=Skeptical Inquirer |date=6 February 2023 |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/still-no-evidence-of-satanic-ritual-abuse-vpro-argos-and-the-hendriks-commission/ |access-date=19 July 2023}}</ref>