title: The "Bestie di Satana" murders.
abstract: In recent years, satanic groups have been responsible for various types and degrees of crimes. We report the case of a number of murders committed in Italy by a group of young people calling themselves the "Bestie di Satana". Forensic psychiatric assessment of the members of a satanic sect charged with the crime revealed that all the young people had a fragile, immature personality, a very low level of education and were socially disadvantaged. The trial of the members of the "Bestie di Satana" sect was concluded with the verdict of deliberate murder, and all the members were given long jail sentences. This report should lead us to explore social and cultural responses to juvenile satanism, statistically shown to be a relatively rare phenomenon but with a high criminal potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Psychopathology, University of Insubria, Via O. Rossi 9, 21100, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Birkhoff
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Candelli
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeroli
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: La Tegola
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carabellese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008399:Mass Behavior; D009781:Occultism; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Psychiatric Forensic Assessment; forensic science; group violence; homicide; satanic sects; suicide