Ritual sexual abuse: Orientation to patient well-being in a polarized debate

Abstract

Background: The background to this article is a polarized media debate about ritual violence against children in German speaking countries. Two opposing positions have formed, which are unable to engage in a reasonable exchange with each other. Objective: The article therefore aims to contribute to bridging the differences and argues, above all in the interests of patient well-being, for positioning oneself beyond polarization and to reflect on an evidence-base in treatment as well as in scientific discourse. Material and methods: The article is based on a critical examination of exemplary scientific literature, public investigation reports and diverse media coverage. Results: In certain psychotraumatology circles and in the media (especially on social media, such as telegram), there is a conspiracy narrative about a large network of perpetrators who inflict the most serious sexual violence on children in a ritual context. An uncritical belief in this has already led to mistreatment of patients and also to a fundamental mistrust of their statements. This threatens these already vulnerable patients with further harm, which contradicts the basic principles of medical ethics.