The Meenistur Tae His Floack – the Western Isles ‘satanic
abuse’ case
The following transcript of the police interview of one of the
falsely accused in the Western Isles ‘satanic abuse’
case exposes the mindset of the investigating officer. The accused
were caught up in the bizarre idea of ‘satanic paedophile
rings’, hidden amongst a strict God-fearing society, practising
ritual abuse on children. Like the earlier Orkney’s case,
where they talked of a mysterious minister with his sinister cloak
and stick, here investigators and social workers were fixated
on Pagans, cape and mask wearing Mormons who slaughter cats, other
animal sacrifices and human killing, and confused Paganism with
Satanism.
Police Officer. Do know anyone else who, or have you heard of
anyone else who, practices the occult?
IC. No. I don’t know of anyone who practices that kind
of religion.
PO. Have you any knowledge of the use of statues in practising
the occult? What about the ritualistic killing of animals? Ritualistic
dress, as in gowns, that type of thing? Do you have any books
about witchcraft?
IC. Umm, Wicca witches and things like that? Yes in the kitchen?
PO. Wicca witches? What’s that?
IC. Well paganism, you don’t know about paganism?
PO. I don’t.
IC. It is not against the law. Paganism is basically about people
who believe in mother earth. It’s not witchcraft as in,
you know, flaming voodoo sort of things.
PO. I have information that you were involved in devil-worshipping
ceremonies. Have you ever been into devil worship?
IC Not at all.
PO. The information we have is that it has taken place and that
you did use it to dress up in a long white gown and wore masks,
as did your wife, and that you carried out some sort of ceremony
during which there was dancing, and that your children were dressed
up in a similar manner to yourselves and there was music being
played, described as Indian music.
And also that during this, some form of chanting and praying
took place. Further to that, there was information given to us
that whilst this was being conducted, it was being videoed on
a camcorder.
Have you been in a position of seeing any videos which would
depict serious sexual abuse? People being killed, and I’m
not talking acting here? Have you ever drank the blood of a chicken?
Have you ever witnessed anybody else doing that? Ever drink the
blood of any other animal?
The interview ends with a howl of anguish from IC as he is charged
with rape. The anti-satanist fervour reflects the Outer Hebrides’
religious-cultural background. Despite considerable changes, the
islands are a redoubt of Free Presbyterianism with an hostility
to ‘devilish incomers’ . As with the better-known
Orkneys’ case and the lesser-known Shetlands’ ones,
‘outsiders’ were the accused.
The following is a ‘minister’s sermon’, (author
unknown) of the kind once delivered in Scotland that satirises
the fire and brimstone culture still found among the Wee Free
Presbyterians. Much the same kind of preaching is done by the
Reverend Ian Paisley. It is a likely influence on some of the
investigators who went after the ‘devil worshippers with
their heathen ways’ - the pagans, mormons, unconventional
Christians, and those with no religious faith, whom they were
convinced were practising satanic child abuse. Two centuries ago,
Robert Burns called these preachers and their followers, Holy
Willies, the ‘unco guid’, because of their unctuousness
and strict Calvinist condescension towards the ‘unelect’.
The Meenistur Tae His Floack
“Aye - yir oot enjoayin yirsels an gien in tae the Devil
and his Satanic weys oan yir nichts oot at the picturs an the
dancin - wi yir drinkin an gamblin an smokin an hooerin –
an neglectin yir weans - an yir laffin awa wi nivur a thocht fur
the wurd o God an his great and terrible laws. Bit whin yir doon
below in the fiery pit o Hell – an yir screemin an yir burnin
an yir roastin an yir yellin – Oh Lord Lord – we didnae
ken - we didnae ken – the great Lord in his infinite mercy
will ben doon frae Heaven and say – Well ye ken noo!”