Witch-Children: From Salem Witch-Hunts to Modern Courtrooms

by Hans Sebald

The period of persecution and execution of so-called witches stands as a venomous chapter of Western civilization. The participation of small children and adolescents, whether as the accused or as the accusers, was pivotal. It linked the power of the inquisitor to the fates of many unsuspecting men and women - people who often became hapless victims, devoured by a ravenous inquisition that stretched across two continents.Dr. Hans Sebald maintains that the classic "Salem syndrome" is anything but past history; it is frequently re-enacted in the modern courtroom. We observe children as they accuse others of molesting or seducing them within a public mind-set that is predisposed to believe them. Why would they lie? A mythomaniacal child - one who has not yet fully recognized the contours of reality - is in a position to wreak havoc on the lives of innocent persons. And it matters little whether the authorities are judges, juries, inquisitors of centuries past, or counselors and therapists of more recent vintage.

Genres: Nonfiction

258 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Joseph F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book on the witchcraft persecutions from a sociological perspective.
The author starts with some startling stories from Europe and America that involved children playing an active role in witchcraft accusations. He then spends time in the second half of the book analyzing why children sometimes act as victimizers. Children learn from adults the same twisted theology that they hold and use it sometimes for their own purposes to attract attention, power and revenge against family members. This sort of horror did not end hundreds of years ago; it continued not too long ago when children, goaded by overzealous therapists, accused many innocent people of Satanic Ritual abuse.