The “Bestie di Satana” Murders

• Published in: Journal of forensic sciences Vol. 58; no. 6; pp. 1660 - 1665
• Main Authors: Birkhoff, Jutta, Candelli, Chiara, Zeroli, Stefania, Tegola, Donatella, Carabellese, Felice
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Forensic Psychiatry; forensic science; Forensic sciences; group violence; homicide; Homicide - psychology; Humans; Italy; Male; Mass Behavior; Murders & murder attempts; Occultism; Personality Assessment; Personality Disorders - psychology; Psychiatric Forensic Assessment; satanic sects; Satanism; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; suicide; Young Adult; Italy; forensic science; group violence; satanic sects; Psychiatric Forensic Assessment; homicide; suicide
• ISSN: 0022-1198; 1556-4029
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12292

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.