Issue 139 – March 2018

S.M.A.R.T.
(Stop Mind control And Ritual abuse Today)
P. O Box 1295, Easthampton, MA 01027-1295 USA E-mail: SMARTNEWS@aol.com
Home page: https://ritualabuse.us/

Issue 139 – March 2018

The purpose of this newsletter is to help stop secretive organizations and groups from abusing others and to help those who allege they have been abused by such organizations and groups. This newsletter is not a substitute for other ways of recovering from ritual abuse. Readers should use caution while reading this newsletter. If necessary, make sure other support systems are available during and after reading this newsletter.

Important:
The resources mentioned in this newsletter are for educational value only. Reading the books cited may or may not help your recovery process, so use caution when reading any book or contacting any resource mentioned in this newsletter. Some may have a religious or other agenda that may be separate from your own recovery process. Others may have valuable information on secretive organizations, but have triggers or be somewhat sympathetic to those organizations. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the views expressed in this newsletter constitute expressions of opinion, and readers are cautioned to form their own opinions and draw their own conclusions by consulting a variety of sources, including this newsletter. Resources listed, quoted and individual articles, etc. and their writers do not necessarily support all or any of the views mentioned in this newsletter. Also, the views, facts and opinions mentioned in this newsletter are solely the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of this newsletter or its editor.
Copyright 2018 – All rights reserved. No reproduction of any material without written permission from the editor and individual authors.

The 2018 Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference, August 18 – 19, 2018, DoubleTree Hotel, Windsor Locks, CT https://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/
Special Price $150 until May 1, 2018

Conference Speakers
The Credibility of Ritual Abuse Allegations
Presenter: Randy Noblitt, PhD
Synopsis: To what extent do mental health and other helping professionals believe the stories of ritual abuse survivors? This presentation systematically reviews the empirical research on the credibility of ritual abuse allegations. After presenting the findings there will be a discussion that welcomes the opinions of the attendees regarding their own conclusions including considerations of the community standard, professional ethics, related forensic questions, and advocacy for extreme abuse survivors. (Skype Presentation)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Presenter: Jillian Jackson
CPT Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is short-term, specific 12 session therapeutic intervention to help adults address specific life events associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It was originally designed to assist victims of rape and it has been widely used within the Veterans Administration to assist combat veterans address PTSD. Clinicians are now using this evidence-based practice to help individuals who struggle with a continuum of traumas. CPT is a derivate of the more widely known Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Research demonstrates that CPT is effective in reducing the symptoms associated with PTSD. In this workshop, participants will learn the history of CPT, determine who is an appropriate candidate for the intervention, and how CPT is administered. The workshop will also highlight the research supporting this intervention and discuss it’s outcomes.

Radikal Healing
Presenter: Manjot Singh Khalsa
Radikal Healing is a holistic therapeutic approach for the healing of trauma. This workshop will provide a primer introduction to various modalities that are available and also highlight why it is vital for a process of healing and transformation to be tailored to each individual’s needs and experience.
Be Here Now
Presenter: Manjot Singh Khalsa
Manjot Singh Khalsa is the creator of a Kundalini Yoga and Meditation curriculum, “Be Here Now: Yoga, Meditation & Mantra for Trauma Survivors.” In today’s experiential workshop, participants will have the opportunity to stretch, breathe, strengthen and rest in a safe space. No previous yoga experience necessary. Participants will choose to sit in a chair or on the floor during this workshop.

Changes in Awareness of Severe Abuse and Child Abuse Crimes Over Twenty Five Years
Presenter: Neil Brick
The awareness of severe abuse and child abuse crimes has changed over the last 25 years. In the early 1990s, severe abuse survivors were often believed and supported. Then a backlash started and severe abuse survivors and their supporters were harassed and attacked. The child abuse survivor movement changed and adapted. Ten years ago, research began again to help expose severe abuse crimes. More recently, first in the UK and Australia and now in the United States, a variety of child abuse, severe abuse, sexual harassment and rape cases are bringing public awareness again to the mainstream media of severe abuse crimes. This presentation will discuss the changes of the last 25 years, with an emphasis on the more recent exposures of organized child abuse crimes and social systems that have been part of the cover up of these crimes.

This issue includes information on: Survivorship Ritual Abuse and Mind Control 2018 Conference, Ellen Lacter Ph.D., Randy Noblit, PhD, Neil Brick, Cynthia Henrie, torture, neglect, child abuse, Larry Nassar, sexual abuse, Aly Raisman, U.S.A. Gymnastics, sexual misconduct, Jordyn Wieber, Michigan State University, RNC Finance Chair Steve Wynn, Sexual Misconduct, Wormwood CIA’s cold war ‘mind control’ program, MK-ULTRA, Frank Olson, Camp Detrick, CIA operative Project ARTICHOKE, Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Dylan Farrow, Soon-Yi Previn, voodoo ritual, Circus sex ring, Satanic ritual, blood rituals, Rob Porter accusations of Abuse, Hope Hicks, President Donald Trump, European slavery network, organised crime group, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit, Human-trafficking gang, Grooming gangs, Satanism, Satanic killing, Evan Rachel Wood, sexual assault survivors’ rights, Survivors Bill of Rights Act, brainwashing

News items
Resources and Information
Please note: Listing of these resources does not necessarily constitute our endorsement of them. They are for educational value only and some may be heavy for survivors to read. Some of the conferences listed may not necessarily be safe for all survivors. If you are a survivor of mind control and/or ritual abuse, S.M.A.R.T. recommends learning about mind control techniques before attending conferences or other survivor events. This article may be helpful: How to Avoid Being Mind Controlled at a Conference https://survivorship.org/survivorship-articles/how-to-avoid-being-mind-controlled-at-a-conference/

The Survivorship Ritual Abuse and Mind Control 2018 Conference
https://survivorship.org/ritual-abuse-and-mind-control-2018-conference/
When:
Regular Conference – Saturday and Sunday May 19 – 20, 2018
Clinician’s Conference – Friday May 18, 2018
Where:
Courtyard Marriot Long Beach Airport – Long Beach, CA
Please write conference2018@survivorship.org for more information
Conference Speakers Include:
Ellen Lacter, Ph.D., Randy Noblitt, PhD and Neil Brick

A look at the lives of 13 siblings held captive in a house full of chains — and what comes next
by Marwa Eltagouri January 19, 2018
California parents plead not guilty to torture of 13 children
What started as neglect, officials said, became dangerous and pervasive child abuse over the years.
If they misbehaved, the 13 siblings living in a Southern California home would be tied to their beds as punishment — first with ropes, until a child whose limbs were strung together was able to wriggle free. Then, the parents began using chains and padlocks, officials said.
Over time, the periods in which the siblings were confined grew longer, and they would not be released to use the bathroom, officials said….
These disturbing living conditions for years went undiscovered, police say, until a 17-year-old girl escaped from the Perris, Calif., house this week. Her 12 siblings were freed soon after, and her parents were arrested.
On Thursday, David Allen Turpin and Louise Anna Turpin were charged with multiple felony counts of torture, child abuse, abuse of dependent adults and false imprisonment. David Turpin is additionally charged with committing a lewd act on one of the female children by force. The couple, initially arrested on charges of torture and child endangerment, could face up to life in prison if found guilty….
The parents would buy food for themselves but prohibit the children from having any, with the exception of the 2-year-old, who was getting enough to eat. Sometimes, authorities said, the parents would buy apple or pumpkin pies, leave them on the counter and let them go uneaten, prohibiting the children from tasting them.
One 12-year-old is so malnourished that his weight was that of an average 7-year-old, and the 29-year-old female victim weighs 82 pounds, Hestrin said.
The siblings rarely left their Perris house and did not go to school. Instead, they were taught at home, Hestrin said, but were forced to sleep all day and stay up at night, typically going to sleep at 4 or 5 a.m.
The Turpin children were permitted to bathe just once a year, Hestrin said….
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/01/19/starved-beaten-unbathed-how-a-17-year-old-escaped-a-house-full-of-chains-and-freed-her-12-siblings/

One After Another, Athletes Face Larry Nassar and Recount Sexual Abuse
By SCOTT CACCIOLA and CHRISTINE HAUSER JAN. 19, 2018
LANSING, Mich. — Armed with pieces of paper etched with their memories of sexual abuse, they stepped forward, one by one — nearly 100 of them, with more to come.
For four full days this week, in a fluorescent-lighted courtroom here, women and girls — some of them the best gymnasts in the country, others with dreams prematurely crushed, they said, by a man who now sat in handcuffs 10 feet away — leaned into a microphone to address him, sometimes through sobs, sometimes with screams, but always with determination.
Aly Raisman, 23, who won gold medals at the past two Summer Olympics, told of late-night knocks on her hotel door while she was competing overseas, as the man, Dr. Lawrence G. Nassar, then the team doctor, arrived to abuse her.
A teammate at the 2012 London Games, Jordyn Wieber, who until Friday had not identified herself as a victim of Dr. Nassar’s, recalled the torment of the Games, where she was a part of the American team that won a gold medal but, she said, had to submit to his care under the auspices of the sport’s governing body, U.S.A. Gymnastics.
“Our bodies were all hanging by a thread in London,” she said. “Who was the doctor that U.S.A.G. sent? The doctor who was our abuser.”….
“Nobody was protecting us from being taken advantage of,” Ms. Wieber said. “Nobody was ever concerned whether or not we were being sexually abused.”
Ms. Raisman took clear aim at both U.S.A. Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee when she appeared in court on Friday.
“Neither U.S.A. Gymnastics nor the U.S.O.C. have reached out to express sympathy or even offer support,” she said. “Not even to ask: ‘How did this happen? What do you think we can do to help?’ Why have I and others here, probably, not heard anything from the leadership at the U.S.O.C.? Why has the United States Olympic Committee been silent? Why isn’t the U.S.O.C. here right now?”….
The impact of the trial, and Dr. Nassar’s history of assault, is spreading well beyond the courtroom. Michigan State University, which employed Dr. Nassar, was also facing increasing pressure after revelations that 14 people, including the president, Lou Anna K. Simon, had been warned about his conduct….
https://www.nytimes.com/

2018/01/19/sports/larry-nassar-women.html

Women Confront Larry Nassar in Court: ‘I Was So Brainwashed Then’
By CHRISTINE HAUSER and MAYA SALAM JAN. 22, 2018
Three U.S.A. Gymnastics board members resigned in the wake of Larry Nassar’s sex abuse scandal. More survivors came forward on the fifth day of the sentencing hearing.
….But on Monday in a Michigan courtroom, on the fifth day of Dr. Nassar’s sentencing hearings, dozens of women spoke out or had their statements read aloud for them — statements about how, after winning their trust, he sexually molested them. They described being misled as children and teenagers, saying that they saw Dr. Nassar as a trustworthy savior who consoled them or wiped blood from their faces, and as a man they looked up to as a prominent doctor in gymnastics.
As nearly 100 women did last week, they offered remarks that went beyond the emotional and graphic stories of sexual abuse by Dr. Nassar when they were sent to him as young athletes. On Monday, more than a dozen asked how the abuse could have gone on for decades, and why organizations — such as the national gymnastics governing body and Michigan State University, his employer — enabled him or turned a blind eye.
On Monday, several top board members of U.S.A. Gymnastics announced their resignations, including the group’s chairman, vice chairman and treasurer. On Saturday, a Michigan State trustee, Mitch Lyons, dissented from the board’s public support for its president, Lou Anna K. Simon, calling for her to resign amid questions around her knowledge about Dr. Nassar’s behavior….
As the women approached the podium, they were welcomed by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina of Ingham County Circuit Court, who called them “survivors” and said she would hear statements from more than 140 women altogether, possibly through Tuesday. Dr. Nassar, who has already received a 60-year sentence for child pornography, will be sentenced after the statements are finished.
After each of them spoke, the judge addressed them again, encouraging them to leave their painful memories behind…..
Dr. Nassar pleaded guilty in November to seven counts of sexual assault, and his sentencing hearing, which began last Tuesday, has been growing as the number of women who have wanted to speak in court has grown…..
https://www.nytimes.com/

2018/01/22/sports/larry-nassar-abuse-victims-statements.html

What MSU knew: 14 were warned of Nassar abuse
8 women reported abuse claims, at least one of which reached president Kim Kozlowski, The Detroit News
Reports of sexual misconduct by Dr. Larry Nassar reached at least 14 Michigan State University representatives in the two decades before his arrest, with no fewer than eight women reporting his actions, a Detroit News investigation has found.
Among those notified was MSU President Lou Anna Simon, who was informed in 2014 that a Title IX complaint and a police report had been filed against an unnamed physician, she told The News on Wednesday.
“I was informed that a sports medicine doctor was under investigation,” said Simon, who made the brief comments after appearing in court Wednesday to observe a sentencing hearing for Nassar. “I told people to play it straight up, and I did not receive a copy of the report. That’s the truth.”
Among the others who were aware of alleged abuse were athletic trainers, assistant coaches, a university police detective and an official who is now MSU’s assistant general counsel, according to university records and accounts of victims who spoke to The News.
Collectively, the accounts show MSU missed multiple opportunities over two decades to stop Nassar, a graduate of its osteopathic medical school who became a renowned doctor but went on to molest scores of girls and women under the guise of treating them for pain…..
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/tech/2018/01/18/msu-president-told-nassar-complaint-2014/1042071001/

Larry Nassar sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in sexual assault cases
Tom Schad, USA TODAY Jan. 24, 2018
Former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday in Ingham County Circuit Court in Michigan….
Nassar received his sentence after listening to 156 victim-impact statements over seven days, including powerful statements from Olympic medalists Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber, among others.
Nassar, who was also previously employed by Michigan State University, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of sexual assault in November split between two counties, including seven in Ingham County. His sentencing in Eaton County, where he faces the other three charges, is scheduled to begin Jan. 31.
Nassar’s plea agreement had set the low end of his sentence at 25-40 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison. The agreement also provided that women and girls abused by Nassar be given the chance to deliver victim-impact statements, if they wished to do so….
More than 150 seized that opportunity, speaking directly to Nassar in Aquilina’s courtroom. Roughly two dozen other victim-impact statements were submitted directly to the court, Michigan assistant attorney general Angela Povilaitis said…..
The 54-year-old Nassar was also sentenced last month to serve 60 years in prison on federal child pornography charges, which, with Wednesday’s sentence, ensures that he will spend the rest of his life in prison. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2018/01/24/larry-nassar-sentenced-40-175-years-prison-us-gymnastics-sexual-abuse/1060994001/

As sentencing hearing draws toward close, women tell Nassar they are ‘taking back’ their lives
Matt Mencarini, Lansing State Journal Jan. 23, 2018
LANSING – After 153 victim-impact statements and six days, Larry Nassar’s sentencing hearing is nearing an end. On Tuesday, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina confirmed with prosecutors that they planned for three more impact statements Wednesday before moving on to the next phase, in which Nassar will learn his sentence. However, at the start of each day, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, which prosecuted Nassar, has updated the total number of expected impact statements. What began as 88 speakers 11 days ago was at 158 on Tuesday morning, although several had not shown up before court recessed for the day….
As Nassar’s sentencing hearing drew national attention, more and more women and girls reached out and wanted to speak.
Through those statements — most in person, but some through video or letters read by prosecutors — themes began to emerge. There’s the trauma: Nightmares, PTSD, loss of trust and self-worth, loss of voice and suicidal thoughts. There’s the abuse: Hundreds of instances of being sexually assaulted, digitally penetrated with Nassar’s ungloved hand, sometimes in an exam room, sometimes in the back room of Twistars gymnastics club, sometimes in his home and at least one in a supply closet.
And there’s triumph: Succeeding despite the abuse and trauma, but also reclaiming what Nassar took….
Nassar worked for Michigan State University and with USA Gymnastics for decades. Many of the women and girls who spoke these last two weeks said Nassar abused them at MSU or at USA Gymnastics sanctioned events or gyms. Those organizations drew harsh criticism from many of the women and girls who spoke. They said MSU and USA Gymnastics, among others, failed to protect them from Nassar and continue avoid taking responsibility for enabling him….
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2018/01/23/women-tell-nassar-they-taking-back-their-power-and-their-futures-speaking-his-sentencing/1056888001/

Larry Nassar latest: 265 young women say they were abused by former USA Gymnastic doctor, judge says
It was previously believed the total number of victims was closer to 200
Andrew Buncombe New York
More than 265 people have come forward to say they were sexually abused by the disgraced former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, a judge has said.
As Nassar’s third sentencing hearing got underway on Wednesday in Eaton County, Michigan, Judge Janice Cunningham said dozens of women and girls were expected to deliver statements in court. “Some of the victims have chosen not to be identified,” she said.
During a seven-day hearing that concluded last week in nearby Ingham County, more than 150 young women delivered powerful statements confronting Nassar and telling him of the devastating impact he had on their lives…..
As the hearing continued, it was reported that the entire board of directors of USA Gymnastics, which Nassar served as a team doctor for 20 years, had stood down after being told they would otherwise be fired.
Last week, Nassar was sentenced to between 40 to 175 years in prison when he appeared before Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina….
Around 140 victims have filed a lawsuit against Nassar, USA Gymnastics (USAG) and Michigan State University (MSU), claiming the institutions knew about allegations of abuse years ago and failed to act.
USAG said last week after Olympic officials threatened to decertify the organisation as the sport’s US governing body that its entire board had resigned and sponsors have already backed away ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games.
The United States Olympic Committee, which has been criticised by victims as well, has announced an independent investigation into both its own conduct and that of USAG.
The Michigan attorney general’s office, which prosecuted Nassar, is pursuing a criminal probe into the college over its handling of allegations against Nassar. The university’s president and athletic director stepped down in the wake of Nassar’s sentencing last week….
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/larry-nasser-abuse-sentence-victims-latest-court-judge-michigan-judge-janice-cunningham-a8187926.html

RNC Finance Chair Steve Wynn Accused Of Decades Of Sexual Misconduct: Report
The Las Vegas mogul has been accused of sexually harassing and abusing female employees.
By Antonia Blumberg 01/26/2018
President Donald Trump has called Steve Wynn, seen here in March 2016, a “great friend.”
Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn has been accused of a decades-long pattern of sexual harassment and abuse toward workers at his casinos, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal.
Dozens of current and former employees at Wynn’s gambling establishments told the Journal they had experienced or witnessed chronic abuse by the billionaire, who was named finance chairman for the Republican National Convention last year.
The allegations range from lewd comments and inappropriate touching to soliciting sex acts from women who worked as manicurists and massage therapists at Wynn’s Las Vegas casinos.
One former employee at Wynn Las Vegas said the mogul pressured her into having unwanted sex with him after she gave him a manicure in 2005. Wynn later agreed to pay the woman a $7.5 million settlement after she filed a report.
“The idea that I ever assaulted any woman is preposterous,” Wynn said in a statement shared with HuffPost. “We find ourselves in a world where people can make allegations, regardless of the truth, and a person is left with the choice of weathering insulting publicity or engaging in multi-year lawsuits. It is deplorable for anyone to find themselves in this situation.”….
Current and former employees who spoke with the Journal said they were nervous about coming forward due to Wynn’s influence in the casino industry. Wynn is worth over $3.5 billion, by Forbes’ estimate. He owns two sprawling Las Vegas casinos ? the Wynn and Encore resorts ? as well as two other complexes in Macau. Another $2.4 billion Wynn casino is in construction in the Boston area.
His power and influence, like those of other prominent men who have been accused of recurrent sexual abuse, may have led him to feel invincible in his own domain.
Current and former employees told the Journal that Wynn would frequently walk around in short shorts with no underwear, exposing his genitals when he sat to receive a pedicure. He would proposition female employees in his private office and even allegedly asked a former executive to get him the phone numbers of casino cocktail waitresses.
“Everybody was petrified,” said Jorgen Nielsen, a former artistic director at the resort’s on-site salon, who told the Journal that female employees would hide in bathrooms and back closets when they heard Wynn was approaching….
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-wynn-sexual-misconduct-allegations_us_5a6b6937e4b01fbbefb17313

Wormwood: Inside the CIA’s cold war ‘mind control’ program by Tamsin Shaw Jan 30 2018
In Errol Morris’ new series, Wormwood, which blends documentary with dramatic reconstructions, he sets out to explore an episode in the history of US intelligence that is irresistibly sensational, the CIA’s cold war “mind control” program of the 1950s and 1960s.
Code-named MK-ULTRA, the program involved agents experimenting with methods for gaining full control of a person’s thoughts and behaviour using LSD, hypnosis, electric shocks, and other bizarre means….
The six-part series focuses on the death of Frank Olson, an army scientist who worked on biological weapons research at Camp Detrick, a US army camp in Maryland, but who subsequently became a CIA operative involved in Project ARTICHOKE, a predecessor to MK-ULTRA that focused, with brutal rigour, on interrogation methods…..
Surprisingly, though, the most jarring and psychologically revealing interviews are not with Olson’s son, but with Hersh. More than 40 years after Hersh broke the story, Eric Olson confronted him in 2016 (the year before Morris made the documentary) with fresh evidence, including a new autopsy report that, he claimed, demonstrated the suicide story was false; it was a murder.
Eric also insisted that Hersh had been taken in, by the CIA, that he had “swallowed the cover story” about LSD, when, in fact, his father was silenced because of his involvement in Project ARTICHOKE and in bioweapons research, about which he had loudly expressed serious moral qualms….
Truman published a National Security Committee paper that essentially legitimised the doctrine of “plausible deniability” for the CIA, specifying its role in covert operations with effect that “any US government responsibility for them is not evident to unauthorised persons and that if uncovered the US government can plausibly disclaim any responsibility for them”. This gave the CIA (and any other parties involved in such covert operations) broad licence to deceive Americans.
Allen Dulles was unrestrained in his cultivation of behavioural science initiatives that would assist in the manipulation of individuals and societies.

The dramatic term “brainwashing” became popular in describing this attempt to discover fundamental mechanisms through which human thought and behaviour could be controlled. Many of America’s most distinguished behavioural scientists, who had served in the OSS (forerunner to the CIA) during the war, competing with the Nazis to develop techniques of manipulation, then transitioned seamlessly into this new cold war effort. (The Americans prosecuted Dachau’s doctors at Nuremberg – but not before they had plundered Dachau for the results of the Nazis’ studies on the use of mescaline and other drugs for mind control.)
In a 1949 study for the US Air Force, Yale’s Irving Janis claimed that the Soviets were using hypnosis, drugs, electroshock, and other means to extract false confessions. He thereby helped to lay out the program followed in the CIA’s mind-control research.
This program was funded primarily via the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation, and, under various pretexts, the most prominent social psychologists at America’s Ivy League universities experimented very freely with those methods.
Social psychologists also studied mind control on a societal scale. During the war, Janis and MIT’s Ithiel de Sola Pool had already begun comparing Nazi and Soviet propaganda and conducting systematic content analysis of Soviet publications. Propaganda researchers naturally continued to receive lavish CIA funding afterwards.
Hadley Cantril’s Institute for International Social Research at Princeton, for example, received at least $US1 million from the CIA via the Rockefeller Foundation (Cantril’s reports on the social psychology of the Soviets were sent directly to Eisenhower).
Harvard’s Herbert Kelman described his work as part of a social-psychological effort to develop “general principles of social influence and socially induced behaviour change”, inspired, in his own case, by Chinese Communist methods of “thought reform”…..
Morris shows footage of articulate but apparently “brainwashed” prisoners making “false confessions” to using germ warfare. Eric Olson feels certain that his father, who had worked in the bioweapons program at Camp Detrick, discovered that these weapons actually were being used in Korea and that this discovery instigated his outspoken dissent.

 

In his view, the CIA claims of brainwashing were part of a cover story invented to discredit what were, in fact, true confessions. No evidence has been found that the American prisoners of war were subjected to any special methods of psychological manipulation, such as hypnosis, drugs, or shocks.
Equally, though, no evidence that is not circumstantial has been found to corroborate the Korean claims about air-drops of infected insects used to spread deadly pathogens.
Behavioural science
We do know that the cold war bequeathed a branch of behavioural science built around the desire to discover universal psychological mechanisms through which human beings could be manipulated.
The most famous experiments of mind-control research from the era are the shock experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram at Yale in 1961-1962. (Peter Sarsgaard, as it happens, played Milgram in a 2015 movie about these tests called Experimenter.)
Milgram led his subjects to believe that they were administering electric shocks to a man in an adjacent room whenever he got an answer wrong on a quiz, but the man apparently screaming in pain was a hired actor.
In one study, 65 per cent of the subjects were prepared to turn the shocks up to the maximum level, labelled “Danger. Severe Shock”. Both the Office of Naval Research and the National Science foundation were interested in funding this research into “action conformity” in which Milgram aimed to compel people to act “in violation of deeply rooted standards of behaviour”….
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/wormwood-inside-the-cias-cold-war-mind-control-program-20180125-h0ol99

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Dylan Farrow: A Timeline
A look at major events in the complicated history of Mr. Allen and the Farrow family.
By Sopan Deb and Deborah Leiderman
Jan. 31, 2018
Woody Allen is facing new criticism — including from some actors in his films — over allegations by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow that he molested her in 1992 when she was a child. The Allen-Farrow story has its roots in the 1970s and encompasses several major events in the lives of Mr. Allen; his former partner Mia Farrow; and their daughter Dylan….
December 1991
Mr. Allen adopts Dylan Farrow and Moses Farrow, one of Ms. Farrow’s sons, who she adopted in 1980. Mr. Allen, who is 56, begins an affair with Ms. Farrow’s 21-year-old daughter, Soon-Yi Previn around this time.
Jan. 13, 1992
Ms. Farrow discovers nude photographs of Soon-Yi Previn in Mr. Allen’s apartment. He later testifies in court that he thought the affair would remain secret….
March 18, 1993
After a seven-month inquiry by a team of child abuse investigators at Yale-New Haven hospital, Mr. Allen’s lawyers say he has been cleared of molesting Dylan Farrow. Ms. Farrow’s legal team calls the confidential report “incomplete and inaccurate.” The report, which was commissioned by Connecticut law enforcement, was never officially released, but media outlets reported some of its contents….
June 7, 1993
Mr. Allen loses the custody battle. Acting Justice Elliott Wilk of the State Supreme Court says Mr. Allen is “self-absorbed, untrustworthy and insensitive.” He denies Mr. Allen visitation rights with Dylan Farrow.
Sept. 24, 1993
Frank Maco, a state’s attorney in Connecticut, announces that while he has “probable cause” to prosecute Mr. Allen, he would decline to press charges to spare Dylan Farrow the trauma of a trial. Mr. Maco says he believed that Dylan had been molested….
October 2017
The New York Times, and then Ronan Farrow in The New Yorker, publish stories about sexual harassment, abuse and rape allegations against Harvey Weinstein.
Mr. Allen says he feels “sad for Harvey” and warns against “a witch hunt atmosphere.” He later calls Mr. Weinstein “a sad, sick man.”….
https://www.nytimes.com

/2018/01/31/movies/woody-allen-mia-farrow-dylan-farrow-a-timeline.html

Cops: Brockton mom killed kids in `voodoo’ ritual
Laurel J. Sweet, Brian Dowling Tuesday, February 06, 2018
A Brockton mother of five fatally stabbed her 8-year-old son 50 times with a kitchen knife as part of a “voodoo” ritual, then went after his little brother when she thought she had “failed” with the older child, authorities said.
“It came out ‘wrong’ with the first one and for that reason she had to move on to the second child,” assistant Plymouth District Attorney Jessica Kenny said of Latarsha L. Sanders, now held without bail for the murders of her two youngest children…
Cruz said, “We believe, based upon her comments, that she was involved in some form of rituals that she believed in. We’re gathering information as we speak. Suffice it to say it’s something she referred to throughout her life to other people in her family — in the last couple years, anyway, and it’s something we’re looking into.”
Sanders told police she attacked Edson “because of the voodoo stuff,” according to a report on her interview at Good Samaritan Hospital after waiving her Miranda rights…..
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2018/02/cops_brockton_mom_killed_kids_in_voodoo_ritual

 

Circus sex ring ‘sexually abused and raped three boys under eight for two years and forced them to drink their own BLOOD’
Seven people have been charged in Sydney over an alleged child sex abuse ring
Group, who are linked to a performing arts school, are accused of kidnapping three boys aged under eight before sexually abusing them over two years
Abuse included ritual where boys were forced to drink their blood, it is reported
Five women aged from 58 to 17 and two men aged 52 and 18 face 127 charges
By Chris Pleasance and Max Margan For Daily Mail Australia
6 February 2018
Seven members of a performing arts school have been accused of kidnapping, sexually abusing and raping three young boys as part of a sadistic sex ring.
The group, based in west Sydney, are accused of performing rituals in which the boys, all aged under eight, had their blood taken before being forced to drink it.
The abuse lasted for two years between 2014 and 2016, police said.
Five women aged between 58 and 17 and two men aged 52 and 18 have been arrested and are now facing a total of 127 charges…..
All of the suspects are linked to a performing arts school which caters to children, some with disabilities, and describes itself as ‘a family friendly environment where students can learn in a safe and fun manner’.
Its owner, a 58-year-old woman, has been charged with 43 offences.
They included aggravated sexual assault of a child under 10, sexual intercourse with a child under 10 and aggravated kidnapping….
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5357049/Circus-sex-ring-abused-raped-three-boys-Sydney.html

 

Police: 5-year-old girl burned in voodoo ritual; 2 charged Feb 3, 2018
EAST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (AP) — Two sisters tied down and burned a 5-year-old girl, permanently disfiguring her, in a voodoo ritual meant to rid her of a demon causing her to misbehave, police said. The women also threatened to cut off the head of the girl’s 8-year-old brother with a machete, authorities said.
The boy said his sister was tied down on at least two occasions while the sisters blew fire over her face and cut her on the arm and in the collar area with a needle-like object, drawing blood, according to police. The girl said the women also poured over her eyes a substance that stung.
Peggy LaBossiere, 51, and Rachel Hilaire, 40, of East Bridgewater, denied injuring the girl and threatening the boy, the Brockton Enterprise reported . They pleaded not guilty on Jan. 29 to mayhem, assault and other charges. A public defender for the women didn’t return a call seeking comment on Saturday.
Police say the girl’s mother is a hair stylist of Haitian descent who has LaBossiere as a client and requested the ritual. She has not been charged but is receiving mental health treatment.
http://www.pjstar.com/articles/20180203/police-5-year-old-girl-burned-in-voodoo-ritual-2-charged

describes crimes
Mum ‘killed her eight-month-old baby in horrific Satanic ritual’ as police discover chilling evidence of ceremony
The infant’s mutilated corpse was discovered inside a home in central Mexico, and authorities found the mutilated body in the same building
By Dave Burke 9 FEB 2018
A mum has been arrested on suspicion of killing her eight-month-old baby in an horrific Satanic ritual. Chilling footage shows the silhouette of a baby painted in black in the lounge of a home in central Mexico. Authorities in the city of Chimalhuacan discovered the infant’s mutilated corpse in the same building. In the same room police found ritual materials including candles, a human skull, devil figurines and oils. It was not clear whether the skull was real. The mum, named in Mexico as Leticia N, reportedly named her child Belcebu – a variant of Beelzebub, which is sometimes another name for the devil….
But during a search of the house officers found blood stains and then the baby’s mutilated corpse. A video that was shared on social networks shows the suspected scene of the alleged fatal ritual….
Her boyfriend, believed to have helped her during the ritual, was not found in the house and is being hunted by authorities. Leticia was arrested and charged with homicide. She is being held in custody. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mum-killed-eight-month-old-11997508

Australian circus school tied to sex abuse and ‘blood rituals,’ police say
By Kyle Swenson February 12
….Australian law enforcement now alleges the circus school was not a venue for big top entertainment but a horror show.
Last Monday, investigators arrested seven individuals — two men and five women — affiliated with the school for allegedly sexually abusing three young boys between 2014 and 2016, according to a news release from the New South Wales Police Force.
Altogether the accused face 127 criminal counts, including rape, kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault of a child and making child abuse material. Citing police documents, the Australian newspaper reported the young victims were used in “blood rituals” on at least one occasion. Law enforcement has not detailed how the victims knew the defendants. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported the three boys were not students at the school….
Citing court documents, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported last week at least one of the assaults occurred on April 25, 2016 — Anzac Day, an Australian holiday honoring military veterans. According to the network, Therese Cook and Yyani Cook-Williams allegedly raped two boys that day. The victims were 4 and 7. Cook-Williams also allegedly forced the two boys to have sex together on the same occasion.
Paul Cook stands accused of filming the aggravated sexual assaults. Meredith is accused of raping one of the victims seven times.
ABC also reported police say the victims were subjected to a “blood ritual” where they were forced to drink their own blood….
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/02/12/australian-circus-school-tied-to-sex-abuse-and-blood-rituals-police-say/?utm_term=.f93b37982eef

Rob Porter, White House Aide, Resigns After Accusations of Abuse
By MAGGIE HABERMAN and KATIE ROGERS FEB. 7, 2018
WASHINGTON — As the White House staff secretary, Rob Porter is not a public figure, but he is responsible for paper flow to the president, a job of crucial importance in the Trump administration. He frequently travels with President Trump on Air Force One, and he helped write Mr. Trump’s first State of the Union address last month.
But despite initial support from John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, and other West Wing staff aides, Mr. Porter announced his resignation on Wednesday, a day after his two former wives accused him in interviews of physical abuse when they were married to him.
His troubles were not a complete secret at the White House: Two people close to the White House said that the allegations against him made by his former wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, had contributed to a delay in granting him a permanent security clearance.
In a statement, Mr. Porter said that “these allegations are simply false,” even as details of the alleged abuse and photographs of one of his former wives with a black eye that she said he had given her were widely circulated…..
Ms. Holderness, Mr. Porter’s first wife, described their relationship as “verbally, emotionally and physically abusive” in an interview with The Daily Mail. In photographs she gave to The Intercept, Ms. Holderness has a blackened right eye and a swollen cheekbone.
In his statement, Mr. Porter said the pictures of Ms. Holderness were misleading….
https://www.nytimes.com/

2018/02/07/us/politics/rob-porter-resigns-abuse-white-house-staff-secretary.html

EXCLUSIVE: ‘He pulled me, naked and dripping from the shower to yell at me.’ Ex-wife of Trump aide Rob Porter who’s dating Hope Hicks, tells how he called her a ‘f***ing b***h’ on their honeymoon and she filed a protective order against him
Jennifer Willoughby, the second wife of President Trump’s staff secretary Rob Porter has spoken on the record to DailyMail.com about her abusive marriage
Porter, 40, is considered one of the most important players in the Oval Office
Last week, DailyMail.com revealed that Porter and Hope Hicks are dating, and were seen kissing in a cab on the way back to her apartment
He has never been given security clearance by the FBI because of his dark past, sources tell DailyMail.com
Willoughby says she was ‘walking on eggshells’ during their marriage due to his explosive anger
On June 19, 2010, she filed a protective order against Porter because he violated their separation agreement and refused to leave their apartment
According to a complaint filed with the police, he punched the glass on the door to their home, cutting his hand in the process
His first wife Colbie Holderness told DailyMail.com: ‘He was verbally, emotionally and physically abusive and that is why I left’
But Willoughby said she never saw Porter take his anger out on other people – ‘not even road rage’ – but that is was all behind closed doors
By Louise Boyle In Arlington, Virginia, For Dailymail.com
7 February 2018
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5359731/Ex-wife-Rob-Porter-Trumps-secretary-tells-marriage.html

Former Wives of Top White House Aide Rob Porter Both Told FBI He Abused Them
Ryan Grim, Alleen Brown February 7 2018
As the FBI conducted a background check on an incoming senior White House official last year, the bureau learned of the man’s history of domestic abuse. Rob Porter, a top aide to President Donald Trump, physically assaulted both of his previous wives, according to the two women. Porter’s first wife said she was physically abused for years, providing a photograph she took of herself after she said Porter hit her while on vacation in Florence, Italy — a photo she also shared with the FBI.
During the background interviews for Porter’s security clearance related to his senior White House role, FBI agents interviewed the two women. The former wives told the FBI that Porter was abusive during their marriages, according to interviews with the women. For Porter, the FBI interviews marked a collision of his professional ascendancy and his sometimes violent private life.
Colbie Holderness, Porter’s first wife, provided her correspondence with the FBI to The Intercept. (The FBI did not respond to a request for comment, and the agent involved in the exchange declined to speak about the case.) In an interview, she said the pattern of violence in her marriage to Porter began on their honeymoon in the Canary Islands in 2003 and continued from there. Photo was taken shortly after the alleged incident, in the hotel room in Florence.
“He only punched me once, in the eye,” Holderness said. It was during a vacation in Florence in 2005. She said, “He threw me down on the bed and punched me in the face. I think he was shocked that he had lost control to that extent.”….
“Up until then, he had always done it in a way that didn’t leave marks,” Holderness said. “I don’t know if that was conscious or not. He would get angry and throw me down on a soft surface — to his credit, it was always a soft surface like a couch or a bed — and he would lay on top of me shaking me, or rubbing an elbow or a knee into me. He graduated to choking me, not ever hard enough to make me pass out, or frankly to leave marks, but it was frightening and dehumanizing.”
“He was always a hair-trigger away.”….

Former Wives of Top White House Aide Rob Porter Both Told FBI He Abused Them

Suspected member of European slavery network arrested in Manchester 21 February 2018
A woman suspected of being a key member of an organised crime group that trafficked women from Nigeria to Europe and forced them into sex work has been arrested by National Crime Agency officers.
The Spanish national was apprehended on 2 February 2018 on a European Arrest Warrant after NCA investigators tracked her down to a house in Miles Platting, Manchester.
With support from Greater Manchester Police, NCA officers also detained two Nigerian men at the address aged 39 and 34 on suspicion of drugs and immigration offences.
A further 11 suspected members of the criminal network were arrested in the same week in Spain and four victims were safeguarded as part of a multi-agency operation led by the Spanish National Police with support from Europol and Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Spanish authorities believe the network recruited female victims in Benin, Nigeria, under false promises of a better life, before trafficking them to Spain. Once there, they were forced into prostitution to pay off their ‘debt’.
Investigators believe the victims were coerced using voodoo rituals and controlled this way through fear that if they did not comply, they or their family would be killed. As part of the rituals, they would be forced to eat raw chicken hearts and had their fingernails and pubic hair pulled out.
Liam Vernon from the NCA’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit, said: “Through close cooperation with the Spanish authorities and Greater Manchester Police, we have located and arrested a woman believed to be a key member of a network that trafficked and forced vulnerable women into prostitution against their will.
“Criminals involved in modern slavery seek out and exploit vulnerable individuals. They treat their victims as a commodity that can generate income over and over again….
http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/index.php/news-media/nca-news/1295-suspected-member-of-european-slavery-network-arrested-in-manchester

Human-trafficking gang ‘that smuggled prostitutes to Europe made women eat raw chicken during horrific voodoo rituals to break their will’
Spanish police made 11 arrests while National Crime Agency officers made another one in Manchester By Gerard Couzens 21 FEB 2018
Twelve people have been arrested in Spain and the UK after police smashed a gang accused of trafficking women to work as prostitutes in Europe using horrific voodoo rituals.
The women were made to eat raw chicken hearts in sickening rituals, while some had their nails yanked off and hair pulled out, detectives said.
Spanish police made 11 arrests in Alicante, Cantabria and Vizcaya and National Crime Agency officers made another one in Manchester.
Detectives say the victims were captured in poor parts of Nigeria and terrorised using voodoo rituals to “break their will”, before being smuggled into Europe to work using fake travel documents.
Most ended up in brothels in Spain after time in Italy….
Claiming the network had a “strong structure” in countries like Nigeria, Spain, the UK and Italy, the spokesman added: “The rituals were used to guarantee the submission of the victims and thanks to them, the organisation achieved their aim of control with a simple telephone call without the need for madams in the same place the exploited women were.
“The victims committed through the rituals to paying the debt they’d built up with their journey to Spain and promised not to report the people exploiting them to police.
“They were warned that if they did raise the alarm, they and their families in Nigeria would come to great harm.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/human-trafficking-gang-that-smuggled-12062088

Grooming gangs abused more than 700 women and girls around Newcastle after police appeared to punish victims
‘Sexual exploitation is happening in towns and cities across the country,’ serious case review warns
Lizzie Dearden Home Affairs Correspondent
Grooming gangs abused more than 700 women and girls around Newcastle with “arrogant persistence” after police appeared to punish victims while letting the perpetrators walk free, a case review has found. The report into the response by authorities to child sexual exploitation found that before a large-scale police operation was launched in 2014, officers’ actions were sending an “unhelpful” message to perpetrators. It warned that abusers are still preying on girls across the UK, and called for urgent action from the Government….
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/grooming-gangs-uk-britain-newcastle-serious-case-review-operation-sanctuary-shelter-muslim-asian-a8225106.html

Evidence of Satanism in case where charges were dropped against men wrongfully convicted in 1992 killing

Charges dropped against men wrongfully convicted in 1992 “Satanic” killing
By Crimesider Staff, Crimesider Staff CBS/AP February 27, 2018 ‘
BRANDENBURG, Ky. — A Kentucky judge dismissed murder charges Monday against two men for a 1990s killing that authorities at the time described as “satanic.” The conviction had rested in part on the visual comparison of a single strand of hair that defense attorneys fought to have tested for 18 years.
Garr Keith Hardin and Jeffrey Dewayne Clark had their convictions in Meade County vacated in 2016 based on the DNA testing, as well as evidence of police misconduct. They were released from prison in August of that year after serving more than 20 years, but it wasn’t until Feb. 8 that the state Attorney General moved to dismiss the charges against them.
Hardin and Clark were convicted in 1995 of killing 19-year-old Rhonda Sue Warford, and sentenced to life in prison….
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charges-dropped-against-men-jailed-18-years-in-killing-wrongly-linked-to-satanism/

Supreme Court of Kentucky.
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY APPELLANT v. JEFFREY DEWAYNE CLARK AND GARR KEITH HARDIN APPELLEES
2016-SC-000693-TG Decided: August 24, 2017 “For the foregoing reasons, we hereby affirm the order of the Meade Circuit Court vacating Appellees’ convictions and ordering a new trial.”
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ky-supreme-court/1871829.html

United States Court of Appeals,Sixth Circuit. Jeffrey Dewayne CLARK, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Michael O’DEA, Respondent-Appellee. No. 99-6620. Decided: July 16, 2001
A. Factual background
On April 2, 1992, Rhonda Sue Warford was reported missing by her mother. The Louisville police learned from the mother that Warford had recently dated Garr Keith Hardin, and that Clark was an associate of Hardin. Three days later, Meade County Deputy Sheriff Greer was notified that a body, later determined to be Warford’s, had been found in a field off Highway 823 in Meade County. Her body was found lying face down, clad in white canvas tennis shoes, red sweat pants, a dark blue shirt, and a multi-colored jacket.
Upon examining Warford’s body, the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Kentucky found many stab wounds to her back, a 1-inch cut on the surface of her right hand, and a 0.4-inch cut on her right index finger. He also observed a stab wound that pierced her lung through her upper right chest and stab wounds at the base of her skull, one of which severed her brain stem. Warford’s injuries were caused by a sharp, single-edged instrument, such as a knife. The examiner also saw that Warford had an inverted cross tattooed below her left clavicle…
Search warrants for both Clark’s and Hardin’s residences were obtained. The sheriff found various occult-related items and documents at Hardin’s residence, and knives at the residences of both. Clark was subsequently interviewed by the sheriff and arrested….
During the trial, several witnesses testified about Clark’s and Hardin’s satanic worship. Amy Padgett, an ex-girlfriend of Clark, said that Clark was once involved with satanic worship, that he owned numerous knives and guns, and that he had an inverted cross tattooed on his shoulder. She stated that Clark (1) told her that he would like to try killing a person because it would be a challenge to see if he could do it and get away with it, (2) explained how a person could be killed by a stab wound to the base of the skull, (3) took her to an area where he claimed a number of animal sacrifices had been made, and (4) was familiar with the area where Warford’s body was found.
Another witness, Hope Jaggers, testified that she was Warford’s best friend for a year prior to Warford’s death. Jaggers said that she heard Warford tell Hardin that Warford was pregnant, and that Hardin responded by saying that “if you are pregnant, I will kill you and that [expletive] baby.” In addition, she told the jury that she had once seen Warford cut her fingertips with a razor and rub the blood on Hardin. But when Jaggers was asked whether either Clark or Hardin was involved with satanism, she stated that she had no knowledge of such involvement.

Yet another witness, Shawn Lee Mattingly, a friend of Clark, testified that Clark almost always carried a knife with him, and that Clark called one of the knives a “sacrificial knife.” Mattingly also told the jury that Clark had admitted to him that Clark had once sacrificed an animal in front of a church, an act that was reported on the local news.
Other witnesses denied having any knowledge of Clark’s involvement in satanism. Two witnesses-Warford’s sister and one of his cousins-said that they had never seen Clark or Hardin involved in any satanic acts. Warford’s sister, however, testified that she knew that Hardin was involved in satanic worship. When Clark’s mother and stepfather testified, they denied ever seeing an inverted cross tattooed on Clark’s shoulder. Clark also denied that he was involved in the occult or in satanic practices….
We agree with the Kentucky Supreme Court. There was testimony that Clark had specifically referred to one of his knives as a “sacrificial knife” and that, according to certain satanic teachings, worshippers could empower themselves by killing other living beings. Warford’s body was found tattooed with an inverted cross and wearing red sweat pants, a color which Hardin acknowledged was “a big color in this Satanism stuff.” Although this evidence was not conclusive, it did tend to support the state’s theory that Warford was killed out of a specific satanism-related motivation for performing a human sacrifice…. http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-6th-circuit/1014918.html

Evan Rachel Wood emotionally recalls sexual assault during congressional testimony
ET Online Alex Ungerman? Feb 28th 2018
Evan Rachel Wood understands the importance of this moment.
The Westworld star was one of several women who stood before Congress on Tuesday to offer emotional testimony advocating the passage of a Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act, which would write protections for those who suffer emotional and physical sexual abuse due to assault, harassment and rape into the law.
“I’m here today to use my position as an artist, survivor, mother and advocate to bring a human voice to the population of 25 million survivors in the U.S. who are currently experiencing inequality under the law and who desperately need basic civil rights,” the 30-year-old actress shared….
“Seven years after my rapes — plural — I was diagnosed with long-term PTSD,” she shared. “I struggled with depression, addiction, agoraphobia, night terrors.”
https://www.aol.com/article/entertainment/2018/02/28/evan-rachel-wood-emotionally-recalls-sexual-assault-during-congressional-testimony/23373842/

Cause Celeb: Evan Rachel Wood for sexual assault survivors’ rights
By Sarah Polus February 27, 2018
Celeb: Evan Rachel Wood, the 30-year-old star of the sci-fi HBO series “Westworld” and two-time sexual assault survivor turned advocate. Wood rose to prominence with her Golden Globe-nominated role in the 2003 flick “Thirteen.”
Cause: Passage of a bill of rights for sexual assault survivors in all 50 states. The Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016, which applies only to federal cases, was passed unanimously by Congress and signed by President Obama. The act was intended as a model for states to follow so they could enact their own measures affording rights to sexual assault survivors. The Survivors’ Bill, which was conceived by Amanda Nguyen, founder of the nonprofit Rise, has been passed by nine states so far. In those states, survivors are entitled to rights such as a free forensic medical examination and a sexual assault evidence collection kit (a.k.a. a rape kit) that is preserved on their behalf, without the risk of it being destroyed.
Scene: Seated at a table with three other women from Rise and another anti-sexual violence organization, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), Wood addressed members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations in the Rayburn House Office Building….
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2018/02/27/cause-celeb-evan-rachel-wood-for-sexual-assault-survivors-rights/?utm_term=.676cca12287c

Implementation of the Survivors Bill of Rights Act
2141 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 11:00 AM
February 27 2018
Witnesses
Amanda Nguyen CEO and Founder RISE
Evan Rachel Wood Artist and Advocate Survivor
Lauren Libby Chief of Staff, RISE Survivor
Rebecca O’Connor Vice President Rape Abuse Incest National Network (RAINN)
https://judiciary.house.gov/hearing/implementation-survivors-bill-rights-act/

Hearing on Implementation of the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights and Clearing the DNA Backlog
Written Testimony of Rebecca O’Connor of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
Before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations
February 27, 2018
….Rape is a crime that reaches every corner of our society – once every two minutes, an American is sexually assaulted, according to the
Justice Department. Despite progress, it’s also a crime where too often the only one who pays a price is the victim. Sex offenders are less likely to go to prison than those who commit crimes of assault and battery or robbery. This is particularly concerning when you consider that rapists tend to be serial criminals, striking more than once. One underlying reason for this: More than two-thirds of sexual assaults go unreported. That’s why RAINN is dedicated to improving
the criminal justice response to rape and enhancing and enforcing rights that support victims’ healing and participation in that system.
The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights paints a picture of the ideal: how we expect society should respond to and support victims in the wake of sexual violence. Providing rights that support victims’ unique needs goes to creating a system where more victims will feel comfortable reporting and more sexual predators can be held accountable…
https://judiciary.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/OConnor-Testimony-2.27.2018.pdf

Are you susceptible to brainwashing?
by Michael Nedelman, CNN Tue February 13, 2018 “Brainwashing” is often used to describe when an individual or group uses coercive tactics to control another person
Scholars are split on what might make some people more susceptible to “mind control” than others
(CNN)Steven Hassan was a college junior in the mid-1970s when he was recruited into the Unification Church, a cult also known as the “Moonies.” Hassan said he quickly came to believe that Armageddon and World War III were imminent. The Moonies, he thought, were singularly tasked with saving the world.
“It only took a few weeks to get me convinced that the Messiah was on the Earth, even though I’m Jewish,” said Hassan, author of “Combating Cult Mind Control.”
It wasn’t until he met with ex-Moonies, albeit reluctantly, that he began to leave the cult 2½ years later.
“I was an off-the-charts, fly-a-plane-into-the-World-Trade-Center-if-Father-ordered-you-to Moonie,” he said of the group’s leader, Sun Myung Moon, whom the members called Father. “I was sure they wouldn’t be able to make me betray Father. I wanted to prove to my parents that I was not brainwashed or mind-controlled.”
Hassan, now a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in helping former cult members, said that just about anyone’s mind can be controlled in similar ways….
“What was the chance Patty Hearst was going to become a bank robber without being violently kidnapped, thrown in the back of a car, put in a closet and mind-controlled for days and days?” asked Hassan, who was coincidentally recruited into the Moonies the week Hearst was kidnapped. He said he felt a certain empathy for her while she was on the run from authorities and later stood trial….
‘I didn’t know the warning signs’
“I had a secret life that nobody knew about,” said social psychologist Alexandra Stein, author of “Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems.”

Stein was 26 when she joined a political cult in Minneapolis — the O, it was called — though she didn’t really realize it was a cult at first. The organization controlled her life throughout the 1980s, isolating her from her from friends and keeping her sleep-deprived with multiple jobs, including one as a computer programmer and one at a bakery….
Stein, who had just left a relationship when she joined the cult in Minneapolis, remembers feeling lost and confused, like they could offer answers she didn’t have. It broke her down, she said….
But Stein said that “the vulnerabilities are situational, not dispositional.” At the wrong time in someone’s life, anyone could find themselves vulnerable to manipulation and mind control, as she did.
“Any human being is going to have situational vulnerabilities throughout their lives,” Hassan said. “Whether it’s the death of a loved one or some illness or moving to a (new) city … that’s going to create a vulnerability that then a cult recruiter can deceptively appeal to.”
Cults don’t want people who are “disturbed” or unstable, because they can be more difficult to control, Hassan argued. He said groups often target productive, smart people who can work and donate money to the cause….
‘It could never happen to me’
“We can be programmed with specific mind control techniques and methods to shut off critical thinking, to have irrational fears or phobias implanted in our minds that take away our choices,” Hassan said.
In his clinical work with former cult members, he said, he aims to increase their self-awareness through means such as having them research how other groups work and revisiting the memories of their cult experiences.
When Stein left the cult in Minneapolis, her critical thinking “clicked back” almost immediately. What took longer was coming to terms with the previous 10 years, reinterpreting what had happened to her and getting her life back on track.
“The nature of these groups, of isolating you, means that you have no friends on the outside,” no job, no housing, she said. “You certainly don’t have an identity that’s separate from the group when you leave.”
But she also experienced a lot of joy when she came out of the group, she said….
“We all want to believe that we’re in control of our minds all the time,” Hassan said. “Cults love people who say ‘it could never happen to me,’ because it because it makes them that much easier to recruit.” “I would’ve said that if it hadn’t happened to me.” ….
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/13/health/brainwashing-mind-control-patty-hearst/index.html

March 15, 2018 · Filed Under Newsletter 2018 - Issues 138 - 143