In recent years the subject of ritualized satanic abuse has garnered headlines and dominated tabloid TV talk shows. Despite all the frenzy, the FBI concluded that there is little or no evidence that this is a national problem. This Frontline documentary illustrates the sad cases of Mary S. and Patty, two women with diagnosed multiple personality disorders who had the misfortune to be treated by reputable psychiatrists obsessed with the notion that these women had a hidden history of ritualized satanic abuse. Even more incredible, the doctors considered the women both victims and abusers. The women were subjected to long and costly hospitalizations, their children were ensnared, families destroyed, and their medical insurers fleeced for millions of dollars. In the end, you wonder how it all could have happened. Were the doctors entranced by their sense of self importance, or were they gripped by paranoia? Could it have been something as mundane as simple greed? The doctors refused to be interviewed, and the video doesn't provide any answers. The documentary tries to offer a cautionary tale, but it's simply confusing in the end. Not recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
The Search for Satan
(1995) 60 min. PBS Video. $69.95. PPR. Color cover. Vol. 11, Issue 5
The Search for Satan
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