Speak of the Devil: Tales of Satanic Abuse in Contemporary England [Hardcover]

J. S. La Fontaine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 1998

The first modern allegations of satanic sexual abuse surfaced in North America during the 1980s, followed a few years later by similar allegations in Britain. Professor La Fontaine, an anthropologist, has studied the literature on satanic abuse in England and conducted a detailed analysis of a number of actual cases. She found no evidence of devil worship. She concludes that behind the hysteria is a social movement, comparable to classic instances of witchcraft accusations and the witch hunts in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This modest book is an important contribution to the expanding grey area in which Sociology and Social Anthropology overlap ... In general this book must be of very wide interest and it is an excellent demonstration of how valuable the theory and fieldwork of traditional Social Anthropology can be for a problem-oriented study of contemporary society.' Cambridge Anthropology

Book Description

The first modern allegations of satanic sexual abuse surfaced in North American during the 1980s, followed a few years later by similar allegations in Britain. Professor La Fontaine, an anthropologist, has studied the literature on satanic abuse in England and conducted a detailed analysis of a number of actual cases. She found no evidence of devil-worship. She concludes that behind the hysteria is a social movement, comparable to classic instances of witchcraft accusations and the witch-hunts in sixteenth and seventeenth-century Europe.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521620821
• ISBN-13: 978-0521620826
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,721,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She knows what she's talking about, May 23, 2006

By 

DV Barrett (London UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Speak of the Devil: Tales of Satanic Abuse in Contemporary England (Paperback)

Prof Jean la Fontaine is a highly-respected anthropologist (now retired) from one of the top academic institutions in Britain. Her research is of a high professional standard -- and I suspect she knows what she's talking about somewhat more than a couple of the reviewers here!

So-called "Satanic Ritual Abuse" was an urban myth and a moral panic. It destroyed families and reputations, and did untold harm to children who were snatched away from their parents by over-zealous social workers. In her report for the British Government Prof la Fontaine was a vital part of showing up this dangerous nonsense for what it was.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting investigation, June 1, 2002

By 

Rickard Sjöberg (Bromma Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speak of the Devil: Tales of Satanic Abuse in Contemporary England (Hardcover)

Whether there is proof that Satanists abduct, sacrifice and eat tens of thousands of children each year in the uk or at other places is a topic which some would believe is unworthy of systematic investigation (acknowledging the need to substantyiate such claims may be seen as betraying children...) but others may find interesting.
To those who do so this book is a must read. It is the second large scale government investigation of claims of widespread Satanic Ritual Abuse whichb has failed to identify a basis for these allegations in even one single case.

11 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This is research?, February 22, 2000

By 

Karen Curio Jones - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speak of the Devil: Tales of Satanic Abuse in Contemporary England (Paperback)

I just read this book and it was extremely dissapointing to me. While critiquing various satanic cults like the Temple of Set, she managed to delete all reference to the fact that the leader of this organization had been processed out of the active reserve/Army after a military investigation into the sexual abuse of children. AQUINO v. STONE 139; Cite as 957 F.2d 139 (4th Cir. 1992}, although he was not convicted of any offense. Since the appellate documents are widely available, I don't know how she could have "overlooked" this. Then this particular scholar claims that these groups are not "organized." The Temple of Set is run by a Lt. Col. from the US Army and it is quite organized. She then claims that Richard Ofshe effectively refuted a confession from the only confessed perpetrator of SRA in America. Not only did Richard Ofshe not make his case but an appellate court specifically noted it on the record and upheld the sentence of the man who confessed. THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, NO. 13613-9-II; PAUL ROSS INGRAM, January 22, 1992 "Ingram presented expert testimony that his own and the victims' statements were the result of suggestive interrogations and influences, possibly including hypnosis, and that the offenses to which Ingram pleaded guilty had not happened. However, three other experts, all psychologists, opined that Ingram's statements were the result of direct recollections and that the events constituting the charged offenses had, in fact, happened." ---- I think this book was a terrible piece of work, logic and scholarship.