All the lies they did not tell The true story of Satanic panic in an Italian community

In this harrowing account, Italian journalist Trincia revisits a case of Satanic panic that gripped two Italian villages in the late 1990s that resulted in 16 children being removed from their families amid horror stories of ritual pedophilia and midnight cemetery child murders. Trincia, the co-creator of the podcast Veleno, which led to the reopening of the case, draws on extensive interviews, mountains of trial documents, and hours of videotaped sessions between psychologists and the children. Five trials resulted in some adults going to prison for years, while others were acquitted, all on the same sketchy evidence. Why did the children lie? Similar cases throughout the world, including America, point to the now debunked claim of recovered memories as well as the pressure from judges and psychologists who endlessly questioned the children, often planting the stories in their heads as the allegations grew. The true horror wasn't the stories of a Satanic priest and a pedophilia ring run amok but the devastation brought to the lives of the children who were ripped from their homes and the parents who often never saw them again. In straightforward prose, Trincia lets the facts speak for themselves. True crime fans won't want to miss this engrossing tale of mass hysteria and a massive failure of the Italian court system. (Aug.)

A true-crime book set in late-1990s Italy focuses on the phenomenon of "Satanic Panic." Italian journalist Trincia introduces readers to "the Devils of the Bassa Modenese," a series of criminal cases in the Bassa region of Italy centered on alleged ritual acts of pedophilia and terror against at least 16 children. The author narrates a complex tale of children--mainly from poor and/or troubled families--who were forcibly removed from their homes by the regional bureaucracy. These removals, which seemed to occur like falling dominoes, began with the testimony of Dario, one boy who shared truly horrific tales of "ritual satanic abuse and sexual violence." In addition to his stories of sexual abuse, Dario described how young victims were threatened, beaten, tortured, and forced to take part in acts of violence, including the murders of other children. Due to his testimonies--and then those of other children--several families were broken apart, many parents were imprisoned, and various suspected pedophiles were also charged, often on little evidence aside from the words of the children. Trincia explores the local view that, in many cases, what was at stake was an ideological battle between church-influenced families and the communist-influenced state, which often subverted traditional family values. Indeed, Trincia explains how most accused individuals were acquitted due to the questionable nature of much of the evidence, including physical exams that failed to prove abuse despite initial reports. Though Trincia deftly avoids making his own judgement, it is clear that most questioning of the children was highly unprofessional, at best, and aggressively interrogative, at worst. The well-researched narrative is choppy in certain sections, and readers must deal with an onslaught of names and facts. Given the disturbing nature of the content, this one is not for the faint of heart. A difficult read but an eye-opening story best suited for die-hard true-crime fans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.