Let’s look at Lanning’s research. “To my surprise, [Lanning] admits he has never talked to a ritual abuse survivor” … (several weeks later, Lanning revised his story to say that he had spoken with ’several dozen’ survivors on an unofficial basis). (from “Nightmares on Main Street” by Leslie Bennetts, Vanity Fair, June, 1993, pp 42-62, quote from Pg. 47) How authoritative can a source be that first admits it didn’t interview anyone alleging they were ritually abused and then revises their story to say they talked to a small sample size unofficially ?” --- In an article offering a law enforcement perspective on allegations of ritual abuse, Lanning (1992, A law-enforcement perspective on allegations of ritual abuse in “Out of Darkness: Exploring Satanism and ritual abuse”) fails to give a precise definition of the term. Although he is quoted as having conducted a seven-year study FBI study that gives evidence that ritual abuse does not exist, when Noblitt and Perskin (2000, Cult and ritual abuse) requested a copy of his study from the FBI, “the bureau responded in writing that no such study existed.” (p. 179). --- Contrary to the way his paper is cited to show that there is no evidence of ritual abuse, what Lanning writes is: “I do not deny the possibility that some of these allegations of an organized conspiracy involving the take-over of day care centers, abduction, cannibalism, and human sacrfice might be true. But if they are true, then it is one of the greatest crime conspiracies in history.” (pp. 131-132) Bennetts (1993, June - Nightmares on Main Street, Vanity Fair, 42-62) asked Lanning if he had trouble disbelieving the stories of women he interviewed. “To my surprise,” she writes, “he admits that he has never talked to a ritual abuse survivor” (p. 62). Reportedly, he later said that he had spoken unofficially with several dozen survivors. from p. 238 - Becker, T. (2008). Re-Searching for New Perspectives: Ritual Abuse/Ritual Violence as Ideologically Motivated Crime. In Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-first Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social and Political Considerations, J.R. Noblitt & P. S. Perskin (Eds), pp.237-260. Bandon, Oregon: Robert D. Reed Publishers. --- “The author (Lanning) is a well known skeptic regarding cult and ritual abuse allegations who has consulted on a number of cases but to our knowledge has not personally investigated the majority of these cases, some of which have produced convictions.” (p. 179 - “Cult and ritual abuse” - Noblitt and Perskin) **************Know Your Numbers: Get tips and tools to help you improve your credit score. (http://www.walletpop.com/credit/credit-reports?ncid=emlcntuswall00000002)
