The Fall River Cult Murders, 1979-80
The inevitable backlash to these often strange and sometimes dangerous new religious sects gave rise to the "counter-cult movement." Unsurprisingly, Christian fundamentalists played a leading role. The shock propaganda of “counter-cultists” successfully tapped into the social anxieties of the day and found broad support among concerned parents. With more women joining the workforce and teenagers left to their own devices there was a new level of fear and uncertainty within the nuclear family unit. The threat of one’s children falling victim to some crazed cult seemed very real. Or so the public was led to believe.
From within this social context a cultural phenomenon known as ‘The Satanic Panic’ was born.1 Fueled by religious fanatics, quack psychiatrists and the tabloid media, it was claimed that a vast Satanic criminal network existed throughout the country. Organized devil-worshipers were responsible for any number of heinous acts – including kidnapping, child abuse, animal mutilation, rape, torture, human sacrifice and cannibalism – all of which was taking place under our very noses.
