21. The Satanic Panic reached its zenith with the McMartin Preschool trial, but this just got the Church of Satan more publicity
The notorious McMartin Preschool case saw innocent daycare staff accused of all manner of atrocities against children, beginning in 1983 with the sodomy of a 2-year-old boy taken to see ‘the goatman’. Hundreds of children were then tricked and cajoled by investigators into testifying they had been subjected to horrific SRA. 7 years and a new record for legal costs later, the case resulted in no convictions. For the Church of Satan, the case was a stroke of incredible luck: mass paranoia and publicity meant that Zeena was all over US national television, defending the Church and providing vital publicity.
