Forensic Considerations in Ritual Trauma Cases (Part 2) - Page 7

 Psychogenic amnesia resulting in the inability to recall important personal information concerning self and other family members, etc.  Sudden loss of knowledge in an area of prior competence; sudden inability to perform tasks (involving, e.g., a certain school subject, the playing of an instrument, knowing the route from one location to another, etc.)  Evidence of splitting or disowning certain behaviors or experiences and attributing them to someone else  Voluntary and involuntary detachment from reality, which may include dropping into trance-like states or “spacing out”  Emotional detachment, remoteness, and depersonalization both to self and others  Use of another name or reference to self as “we”  Belief by self, or awareness by others, that more than one “identity” is present; drawing self as more than one person in artwork  Losing time inexplicably  Presence of auditory and/or visual hallucinations  Sudden changes in handwriting, speech, mannerism, dress, or vision M. RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS

 General lethargy and black circles around the eyes  Severe or chronic fatigue, especially in or around ritual holidays  Evidence of loss of enamel of his/her teeth; blood chemistry imbalances and/or liver/adrenal problems  Constant illness, allergies, and somatic complaints; e.g., stomach or leg pains  Recurrent migraine headaches  History of eating disorders  Sleep disorders, including nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, etc.  Missing digits or toes

IV. INCIDENCE AND FREQUENCY

There is no current national system in place to track the reporting or incidence of ritual trauma as opposed to other forms of child abuse. Skeptics claim that ritual abuse allegations are the result of children’s delusional fantasies or suggestive techniques on the part of adults and treating professionals. Unfortunately, the hideous and unbelievable nature of ritual child abuse offends our sensibilities and is so repugnant that there is a tendency to either sweep it under the carpet or find reasons why it does not exist. The biggest problem, however, is that the vast majority of professionals who work directly or indirectly with victims of child abuse are unable to recognize critical indicators for such abuse. Consequently, most cases of ritual trauma go unidentified as such in the child protective system, with tragic and long-term consequences for both the victims and society. Many experts agree that, for these reasons, the ritual abuse of children is under-reported, under-investigated, and under-prosecuted.

While obtaining truly accurate figures on the prevalence of ritual trauma would be difficult given the secrecy and criminality surrounding the phenomenon, there is nonetheless growing evidence that the problem of ritual trauma is considerably greater than ever imagined. Out of 2,709 members of the American Psychological Association responding to a poll, 30% responded that they had seen cases of ritual or religious-related abuse. Of these, 93% responded that they believed the reported harm and/or alleged ritualism had actually occurred. In a similar survey involving therapists treating clients with dissociative disorders, 85% of 1185 respondents reported a parallel belief in ritual trauma, including the existence of related mind control and programming.

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