Editing Satanic panic (section)

====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>