Utah introduces bill echoing 1980s Satanic Panic

The Wild Hunt reports that the Satanic Panic is back and we be turning the clock back on religious freedom. For more information and the full text of the article, see Utah introduces bill echoing 1980s Satanic Panic on the Wild Hunt page

SALT LAKE CITY – Last Wednesday, Utah State Representative Ken Ivory (R-district 39) introduced a bill in the Utah State House addressing sexual crimes.  The bill was introduced via the House Judiciary Committee and amends the sexual abuse statute to include ritual abuse.  The bill was backed by Utah County Sherriff Mike Smith who testified in its support.

Critics noted that it harkens to the Satanic Panic because it specifically codifies ritualistic child abuse.

House Bill 196, seeks to add “Ritual Abuse of A Child” to the sexual crimes statute. The bill defines “ritual” as “an event or act or a series of events or acts marked by specific actions, gestures, or words, designed to commemorate, celebrate, or solemnize a particular occasion or significance in a religious, cultural, social, institutional, or other context.”