22. Unsurprisingly, the Church of Satan was implicated in the broader Satanic Panic of the 1980s
Michelle Remembers caused mass hysteria, and soon the concerned parents and clergy of Middle America were seeing evidence of Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) behind every privet hedge. Widespread accusations led to sociologists carrying out an inquiry which found ‘media hype, Christian fundamentalism, [and] mental health’ lay behind the uproar. This didn’t end matters, however, and subsequent investigations from less-qualified individuals found all the evidence needed to launch prosecutions for SRA. In 1985, 20/20 named The Satanic Bible as directly responsible for SRA. Fighting the allegations was Zeena LaVey, who tirelessly pointed out the lack of forensic evidence to an unrepentant audience.
