Debate about ritual violence: science vs. mass media!

Debate about ritual violence: science vs. mass media!

On June 2, 2025, an important lecture by Prof. Dr. took place at the Medical School Berlin (MSB). Andreas Mokros. The professor of personality, legal psychology and diagnostics at the FernUniversität in Hagen led the more than 200 participants through a critical examination of the topic of “repression, remembrance and ritual sexual violence”. Mokros also heads the DARTH LAB, which conducts research on antisocial personality traits. The lecture is part of the ongoing MSB colloquium, the next event of which is planned for the winter semester of 2025. Medical School Berlin reports that...

A key finding of Mokros' research shows that there has been no empirical evidence for the existence of ritual sexual violence or so-called "mind control" techniques in recent decades. The discussion about such phenomena is in the context of a broader, media-exploited discourse about child sexual abuse in organized and ritual violent structures in Germany. The debate focuses heavily on the methodology and knowledge certainty of empirical research methods, with much of the public discussion taking place outside of scientific journal articles, mainly in mass media and open letters. The German-speaking Society for Psychotraumatology (DeGPT) highlights that...

Research and public perception

The Independent Commission for the Comprehension of Child Sexual Abuse (UBSKM) has dealt with issues relating to organized and ritual violence in its reports. Particularly striking was a research project at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, which was funded in 2017 to shed light on the perspectives of those affected. A critical statement from the DGPs' legal psychology specialist group in March 2023 questioned the methodology and results of another research project on ritual violence and showed that there was a lack of a solid empirical basis. In particular, four main criticisms of the results were highlighted, which raised concerns about the validity of sufferers' reports. The processing commission explains...

In the prevailing discussion about ritual violence, it is also pointed out that a one-sided portrayal in the media could be dangerous for vulnerable people. Alternative explanations for memories that seem implausible and the general treatment of such topics raise questions that have deeper social and scientific implications. While some specialist groups do not fundamentally question the existence of ritual violence, they call for a differentiated discussion of individual cases without the risk of discrediting the entire phenomenon.

In summary, it can be said that Prof. Mokros' lecture and the ongoing debate about ritual violence and child sexual abuse not only raise profound scientific questions, but also have great social relevance. It remains to be hoped that future discussions and research will be better anchored in the scientific community and not just take place in the public space.