It91裸聊视频檚 a tale that has been repeated throughout history: Satan-worshippers steal children to use and abuse them in elaborate rituals.

The myth cycle was in full swing when filmmakers Steve J. Adams and Sean Horlor embarked on their latest documentary, 91裸聊视频淪atan Wants You,91裸聊视频� an exploration of the Canadian roots of the so-called 91裸聊视频渟atanic panic91裸聊视频� of the 1980s and 91裸聊视频�90s.

The film is set for theatrical release Friday and premiered at South by Southwest earlier this year, but the documentarians began work on the project in 2018, when QAnon conspiracy theories had taken hold among a subset of the population.

91裸聊视频淚t was: 91裸聊视频極h no, here we go again. I can91裸聊视频檛 believe we91裸聊视频檙e looking at this in 1980, and it91裸聊视频檚 happening right now,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Horlor said during a recent video call. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 still happening.91裸聊视频�

The parallels were stark. Some QAnon supporters falsely believe former U.S. president Donald Trump was fighting to expose a group of satanic, cannibalistic child molesters embedded in the government and beyond.

But while QAnon theories centre on the United States, the satanic panic got its start farther north.

The film traces the phenomenon91裸聊视频檚 history back to Victoria, where the book 91裸聊视频淢ichelle Remembers91裸聊视频� was published in 1980.

Michelle Smith and her psychiatrist-turned-husband Larry Pazder wrote the memoir after engaging in a new form of therapy they devised, which saw her describing memories as if she was reliving them while he asked her questions. Audio of those sessions is included in the documentary.

Their bestselling book claimed that Smith had, as a child, been given up to a satanic cult and abused for 14 months, before the Virgin Mary came to her, speaking in French, and healed her.

Horlor grew up in Victoria, just down the road from the couple. But they weren91裸聊视频檛 just neighbourhood fixtures, he said.

91裸聊视频淲hen I was a kid, they were everywhere. They91裸聊视频檙e on TV, they91裸聊视频檙e on the radio, they91裸聊视频檙e in the newspapers. It91裸聊视频檚 not just 1980 when they published their book. This went on for the length of the satanic panic,91裸聊视频� he said.

Other therapists picked up Pazder91裸聊视频檚 technique, and tales of satanic ritual abuse spread across Canada, the United States and beyond.

The cases were profiled on daytime TV by everyone from Geraldo Rivera to Oprah Winfrey. Some were even prosecuted, with people wrongly imprisoned based on false memories children created in dodgy therapy sessions.

Ultimately, Pazder91裸聊视频檚 ex-wife found yearbook photos of Smith showing she was free when she said she was in the cult91裸聊视频檚 clutches. She also spoke to the family91裸聊视频檚 neighbours who refuted Smith91裸聊视频檚 account of her childhood, she said in the documentary. Smith91裸聊视频檚 sister also told the filmmakers that Smith91裸聊视频檚 tale was made up.

Many of those who were convicted in other cases have since been exonerated 91裸聊视频� some as recently as this year.

But if the story in 91裸聊视频淪atan Wants You91裸聊视频� is a cautionary tale, it91裸聊视频檚 one we91裸聊视频檝e heard before.

91裸聊视频淭his echoes all the way back through history,91裸聊视频� Adams said, pointing as an example to blood libel, the false accusation that members of the Jewish community killed Christian children and used their blood in rituals.

But it goes back farther than that, he said, all the way to ancient Rome, where Romans accused Christians of sacrificing children and drinking their blood.

91裸聊视频淭he dominant culture will accuse others 91裸聊视频� basically anyone who doesn91裸聊视频檛 fit in the mainstream. It91裸聊视频檚 sort of this go-to thing that they murder children and drink their blood,91裸聊视频� he added.

Today, it plays out not only among some QAnon conspiracy theorists, but is also used to target transgender people and drag queens.

91裸聊视频�(People) saying that they91裸聊视频檙e grooming children. It is the same things being used to 91裸聊视频榦ther91裸聊视频� people and target them just because they91裸聊视频檙e not part of the mainstream. It is terrifying,91裸聊视频� Adams said.

Hate crimes targeting transgender people have been on the rise in Canada in recent years, according to Statistics Canada and police.

There have also been widespread protests of drag storytimes, in which drag performers read storybooks to children. Protesters often show up to these events carrying signs emblazoned with baseless accusations that drag queens are predatorsand that exposure to their performances threatens children91裸聊视频檚 innocence.

That91裸聊视频檚 emblematic of the differences between the satanic panic and today91裸聊视频檚 moral panics, Adams said.

91裸聊视频淧eople were actually going to trial and they were going to prison,91裸聊视频� he said of the 1980s and 91裸聊视频�90s. 91裸聊视频淣ow it91裸聊视频檚 social, where you91裸聊视频檙e able to gather a group of people who can attack people online. And then those have real-life consequences where people take it upon themselves to go and confront people.91裸聊视频�

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