NCJ Number
129325
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: (1991) Pages: 171-173
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The two basic problems of investigating alleged ritualistic child sexual abuse lie in defining it and in evaluating the credibility of such allegations.
Abstract
From a law enforcement perspective, there are several levels of proof necessary to investigate or arrest suspects: reasonable suspicion, probable cause, and beyond a reasonable doubt. However, wide public dissemination of alleged ritualistic crimes may actually lead to self-fulfilling prophesies and disclosures. The author maintains that some of the allegations arising in recent years must be false. He points to the lack of physical evidence, the difficulty in committing a large-scale conspiracy crime, and human nature to support his opinion. He notes the probability that most alleged victims of ritualistic abuse are victims of some other sort of abuse who have come to believe in the ritualistic aspect of their experiences. However, in order to prosecute the guilty and protect the victims, it will be necessary to develop better methods of evaluating and explaining all allegations.