ChatGPT driving rise in organised ritual abuse reports as survivors turn to AI for trauma support

ChatGPT driving rise in reports of 'satanic' organised ritual abuse, UK experts say

Exclusive: 'Witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse' offending typified by sexual abuse, violence and neglect ChatGPT is driving a rise in reports of organised ritual abuse, UK experts have said, as survivors of "satanic" sexual violence use the AI tool for therapy. Police say organised ritual abuse and "witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse" (WSPRA) against children is under-reported in the UK. There is no modern-day charge that covers it specifically, but such offending is typified by sexual abuse, violence and neglect involving ritualistic elements - sometimes inspired by satanism, fascism or esoteric religious beliefs - to control victims. Perpetrators include abusive families and networks, human traffickers, online gangs and paedophile rings. There have been 14 UK criminal cases since 1982 in which ritualistic practices in sexual abuse were acknowledged. However, 2025 research by clinical psychologist Dr Elly Hanson found convictions reflected the "tip of the iceberg". Experts are now rolling out training for police forces, in a drive spearheaded by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), which has set up a specialist working group. Gabrielle Shaw, the CEO of National Association of People Abused in Childhood (Napac), said there had been a "sustained rise" in reports to them of ritual abuse over the last 18 months, with an increasing number of people saying they had been led to report it by AI. Shaw said: "Over the last six months to a year, we're getting people contacting the Napac support line saying: 'I was referred to you by ChatGPT'. People are using AI, ChatGPT as a form of therapy and exploration. There are mixed feelings about that, but if it's a route into support, that has to be a good thing. "We would normally see spikes in calls around days that have significant supernatural or religious overtones - but this is not a spike - it's a sustained rise. There's increasing knowledge of the crime and of where you can get support ... satanism does come up a fair bit." NPCC, Napac and the Hydrant policing programme, which supports forces nationwide with child protection, commissioned a review from Hanson last year and launched a WSPRA briefing for professionals this month. Last year members of a paedophile ring in Scotland - who posed as witches and wizards - were jailed for sexual offences. Shaw said of 36,700 calls over nine years to NAPAC, 1,310 mentioned organised ritual abuse. She said offending could be "intergenerational in nature" and while perpetrators were predominantly male, survivors named "grandmothers and aunts" as perpetrators. Richard Fewkes, Hydrant Programme's director, said the fact ritual elements sounded "fantastical" had contributed to the justice gap. He added: "We need to improve right the way across the system in dealing with it - it's out there, it does exist and it's not actually being reported (to police) ... we've known about this for many, many years." Hanson said victims were growing up in "regimes of cruelty", but truth was "getting lost between" a "discourse of disbelief" on one hand, and "conspiracy fictions" on the other. She added: "We're not seeing this abuse happening in particular cultures rather than others. This is something we're seeing happening within white British, often privileged families. It's not conforming to any stereotypes about where it might be."

Police find ChatGPT link in rising reports of harmful satanic rituals

UK safeguarding bodies report a sustained rise in organised ritual abuse disclosures, with survivors increasingly citing AI as the reason they reached out. UK police have pinpointed an unexpected driver behind a rise in organized ritual abuse reports: ChatGPT. Survivors are turning to the AI chatbot to process trauma, and experts say that's leading more people to disclose crimes involving satanism, witchcraft, and spiritual abuse. Support groups report an ongoing rise in calls over the last 18 months, with many crediting the AI tool with prompting them to seek help. The National Association of People Abused in Childhood says people are contacting its support line and mentioning that ChatGPT referred them. Recommended Videos These crimes, classified as "witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse," typically involve sexual abuse, violence and neglect paired with ritualistic elements meant to control victims. Perpetrators range from abusive families to organized networks and pedophile rings. The National Police Chiefs' Council has now formed a specialist working group and is rolling out training for forces nationwide. The effort follows a research review suggesting convictions so far represent just the tip of the iceberg. The AI referral surge Napac CEO Gabrielle Shaw said the charity has seen a steady increase in ritual abuse reports over the last 18 months, breaking from the usual pattern. Calls normally spike around dates with supernatural significance. This is different. "Over the last six months to a year, we're getting people contacting the Napac support line saying 'I was referred to you by ChatGPT'," Shaw said. People are using the AI tool for therapy and exploration, she explained, and any path to professional support matters. Satanism comes up a fair bit in those conversations. Only 14 criminal cases since 1982 have formally acknowledged ritualistic practices in sexual abuse. Clinical psychologist Dr Elly Hanson reviewed the issue last year and determined those convictions reflect a fraction of actual cases. Why the justice gap persists The ritual elements themselves have hindered prosecution. Because details can sound "fantastical," the system has historically dismissed reports. Richard Fewkes, director of the Hydrant Programme, said authorities must improve, acknowledging this abuse rarely reaches police. Victims grow up in what Dr Hanson called "regimes of cruelty," but the truth gets buried between public skepticism and conspiracy theories. The abuse occurs within white British families, sometimes privileged ones, with survivors naming grandmothers and aunts as perpetrators. Last year members of a Scotland pedophile ring who posed as witches and wizards were jailed, offering a rare conviction. But experts say such cases remain exceptions. New training, new path forward The NPCC, Napac and the Hydrant Programme released a formal briefing this month for professionals on witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse. The goal is preparing officers to handle these cases when survivors step forward. For those using ChatGPT as an initial disclosure tool, Shaw sees reason for optimism. If the technology leads people to professional help, she said, that represents progress. The sustained rise in reports suggests the chatbot is reaching survivors who might otherwise remain silent. With specialist training underway, the system is finally adapting to crimes it has long overlooked. For victims enduring what Hanson described as "regimes of cruelty," the convergence of AI access and police reform may offer a clear path out.