Evidence: 1 (Debunked)
| Claim | Reality |
|---|---|
| What | In the 1980s-90s, widespread claims emerged that Satanic cults (often linked to Freemasonry) were ritually abusing children |
| Key cases | McMartin Preschool (1983-1990), West Memphis Three (1993). Involved “recovered memory” therapy and suggestive interviewing of children |
| Outcome | No physical evidence ever found. McMartin case: longest, most expensive trial in US history — ALL charges dropped or acquittals. FBI investigation (Kenneth Lanning, 1992) found no evidence of organized Satanic abuse |
| Legacy | Destroyed lives through false accusations. Discredited “recovered memory” therapy. The panic was driven by fundamentalist Christian media, tabloid journalism, and therapist malpractice |
| Masonic response | Official Masonic bodies denied all allegations. No evidence ever linked any Masonic lodge to ritual abuse |