[nickluft]

In reading about these child abuse cases I was struck by how familiar they sound to the Witch Trials of the 17th Century.

We have prosecutors convinced they have discovered a hidden evil and that it is more widespread than people like to think. They sometimes have children as witnesses. They have false confessions from the accused. And we have bodily investigations of "secrete places" either to confirm that sexual abuse has taken place or the devil "knew" was familiar with the accused. And we have bizarre stories of strange practices, which are credulously believed.

It is like there is some universal process going on here. Communities require these expressions of hidden evils. And if you doubt the veracity of these claims then you are suspect too.

I don't think this paranoia is a new phenomenon to human society. What changes is the topic, but not the underlying need we have in human society for these expressions.

Examples of Witch Trials.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials