In a small South Wales town 17 teenagers seemingly committed suicide through hanging in 2008 triggering national media coverage. In the same region, several “Satanist” offenders were successfully prosecuted since.

This paper raises awareness of this “suicide epidemic” and its possible links to ritual violence ideologies.

The research explores how “mind control” through secret societies can lead to suicide and murder.

The research was prompted by client disclosures of a crime series that lead to a false “delusional” diagnosis. Review of the sparse literature and media coverage was used to ascertain themes.

Colin Batley, a self-styled Satanist high priest, was sentenced for child sexual abuse alongside 4 others. His son Damien had died through aspiration when filming himself in a “sexual stimulation game”.

Ian Watkins, disgraced singer of “The Lost Prophets”, was sentenced for abusing two babies provided by two “super-fan” mums. Peaches Geldorf tweeted their names, got a tattoo of O.T.O, a Satanist “kinky sex” group and was found dead a year later.

Albert and Carole Hickman were sentenced for sexually abusing an 11-year-old including “sucking blood”.

Matthew Williams cannibalised his victim before being killed with a police taser.

“Hanging” and “Over-dosing” could be the result of suicide or of “being suicided”. The abuse crimes of all three Satanists convicted in the last 15 years in UK courts occurred in South Wales. Associated violent death in the vicinity of the cases and authority irregularities suggest the operation of an “Organised ritualised crime abuse network” posing challenges for psychiatry.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.