Anne Johnson Davis

Anne Johnson Davis
Died 29 July 2010
Nationality United States
Occupation Author and public speaker
Known for Publishing a memoir of satanic ritual abuse

Anne Johnson Davis (died July 29, 2010)[1] was an American woman who claimed to have survived satanic ritual abuse in her childhood; she published a memoir, Hell Minus One, in 2008. Davis claims that her allegations of abuse have been corroborated through a confession by her mother and stepfather.

History

In her memoir, Davis discusses her alleged abuse from the ages of 3 to 17, including sexual abuse, torture and being forced to hurt her siblings in the context of satanic rituals, and her departure from her home at age 17.[2] Davis made the allegations public in 1995 under the pseudonym Rachel Hopkins. At the time an investigation was underway by the Utah Attorney General's office into satanic ritual abuse.[3] Davis began remembering the abuse in 1993.[3] In 2008, Transcript Bulletin Publishing released Hell Minus One, Davis' memoir.

Confessions

In 1995, under the name Rachel Hopkins, Davis states she was abused after a report was released by the Utah Attorney General's office that downplayed the existence of ritual abuse. As evidence, Davis provided a photo showing herself as a child with bruises, and also claimed her siblings corroborated her story. In addition, Davis provided a confession by her mother and stepfather regarding the abuse to detectives in the Attorney General's Office. Her parents also confessed to two investigators from the office, as well as to the leaders of the church they attended.[3] In her book, Davis states that her parents denied the abuse, but were excommunicated by the LDS Church and sold their home to pay for her therapy.[4]

False memory syndrome

The False Memory Syndrome Foundation has reviewed the book; Davis blamed proponents of false memory syndrome for her family not being prosecuted, as well as privacy concerns and the statute of limitations for not pressing charges. Davis also noted that without corroborative evidence (beyond the confessions) she would probably still have to prove she did not suffer from false memory syndrome or dissociative identity disorder. The False Memory Syndrome Foundation concludes its review with the rhetorical question "Is Ann Davis’s story an example of a confirmed case of satanic ritual abuse? We leave it to FMSF Newsletter readers to decide."[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.hellminusone.com/
  2. ↑ Winslow, Ben (2008-12-10). "Woman revisits the 'Hell' of ritual abuse". Deseret News.
  3. 1 2 3 Spangler, Jerry (1995-04-25). "Ritual abuse does exist, victim says". Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012.
  4. ↑ Davis, AJ (2008-12-10). Hell Minus One. Transcript Bulletin Publishing. p. 155. ISBN 0-9788348-0-1.
  5. ↑ Davis, 2008, as cited in Freyd, P (2009). "False Memory Syndrome Foundation Newsletter" (PDF). 18 (1). False Memory Syndrome Foundation. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
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