Italy police seek 'Satan squad'

[LV426]

Italy police seek 'Satan squad'
By Mark Duff
BBC News, Milan



The Beasts of Satan case caused widespread shock in Italy
Italian police want to set up a special unit to tackle the growth of new religious sects, particularly a violent new breed of home-grown Satanists.

The new police squad would include psychologists, as well as a priest who is an expert on the occult.

It would co-ordinate - nationwide - investigations into potentially dangerous religious movements.

The move follows a spate of high profile, gruesome murders blamed on a new generation of Satanists.

They indulge in a lethal blend of black magic, hard drugs, sex and heavy metal.

In the most recent case a gang known as the "Beasts of Satan" bludgeoned, then buried alive, two of their own members - a young woman and her boyfriend - in woods outside Milan.

Experts say the number of Satanists in Italy is tiny - and the product as much of youthful alienation as of any more traditional religious conviction.

But more than a million Italians belong to other minority religions, and some experts are worried that the new police squad could target members of them as well - even though, despite their perhaps strange beliefs, they are entirely harmless.

The police need to concentrate on tackling Satanic criminality, says one of the country's leading experts on new religions, or they will end up threatening religious freedom as well as wasting scarce resources.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6168827.stm

[J.L.R.]

Sounds like a segment right out of an Image Comic book... Or something from that movie Constatine...

Interesting...

Well LV... you could loan them your blood wolves... They haven't had a work out in a long time...

[DarkHunter]

Yes yes, Satanic criminality....its not just regular Criminals. This is worse. This is Satanic Criminality.

[Lilith]

The new police squad would include psychologists, as well as a priest who is an expert on the occult.
For some reason, I got some humor from the thought of the priest running around the police station. :p


They indulge in a lethal blend of black magic, hard drugs, sex and heavy metal.
Not sex and heavy metal! :eek: :eek: :eek:
No need for the priest; They're going to Hell for sure.


- even though, despite their perhaps strange beliefs, they are entirely harmless.
Is it entirely politically correct to use the term "strange"?

[EveOfDiscord]

I blame those kids and their crazy Heavy Metal Music.

Is it entirely politically correct to use the term "strange"?
Probably not. Whose to say what beliefs are "Strange" anymore?
Whats even worse, they don't specify what sort of Satanists they are. I'm sure the LaVeyan Satanists will be angry, because they should've said that they were Theistic Satanists, or something like that.

The whole thing is pretty silly.

[Okamiotoko]

Just an over reaction from the more extreme religious factions in Italy. They did have some fuel for this kinda reaction from last February:

Italy jails five Satanic killers

LINK (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4669944.stm)

Four members of a so-called Satanic sect are starting long prison sentences in Italy for their part in three brutal, ritual murders.


Nicola Sapone, 27, one of the leaders of the Beasts of Satan rock group and one of the suspected masterminds of the killings, was given a life sentence.

The three others were jailed for between 24 and 26 years.

Their victims were a woman shot and buried alive in 2004 and a teenage couple murdered in 1998.

The case has shocked Italy - a devoutly Roman Catholic country that has become increasingly concerned about the spread of Satanic cults.





Sapone's Beasts of Satan colleagues jailed on Tuesday were Paolo Leoni, Marco Zampollo, Eros Monterosso and Elisabetta Ballarin.

Ballarin, 19, was the former girlfriend of Andrea Volpe - a band leader jailed for 30 years last year for his role in the deaths.

They were convicted of the sacrificial stabbing and beating of fellow band members Fabio Tollis, 16, and Chiara Marino, 19, in 1998, and the shooting of 27-year-old Mariangela Pezzotta in 2004.

Justice

She had also been Volpe's girlfriend. The bodies of the young couple were only found in woods northeast of Milan after Mariangela's body was found in 2004.

After the sentences were handed down, Chiara Marino's mother Lina shouted: "Leoni, you're going to pay, you're a murderer, 26 years is too little."

Mariangela Pezzotta's father told the AP news agency: "Justice has triumphed."

Another member of the group, Pietro Guerrieri, received a 16-year term last year, while a third man was acquitted The increasing concern about the influence of cults led to a Roman Catholic college in Rome offering a specialised course in Satanism and exorcism for priests and seminarians.


____________________ ____________________ ___________
All in all though, silly. I wonder what the vatican thinks?

[DarkHunter]

"Specialized course in Satanism?" What the hell are they teaching then? Heavy metal and suicide? Drugs? Sex? Animal sacrifice? I guess they'll be reading sixteenth century accounts written by Catholic Priests on the depraved rites and acts of devil worshippers that never happened.

These people are not Satanists in any sense of the word. A notable Warlock puts it nicely, saying there are Goats, sheep, and then black sheep. Black sheep that appear dark, but are still sheep and inferior in every way. Thats what these people are. Christians, to put it simply.

[Okamiotoko]

"Specialized course in Satanism?" What the hell are they teaching then? Heavy metal and suicide? Drugs? Sex? Animal sacrifice? I guess they'll be reading sixteenth century accounts written by Catholic Priests on the depraved rites and acts of devil worshippers that never happened.


You forgot DnD. :P

In 12th grade (I went to a Catholic High school) we watched a video on Satanism for our World religions class. It was so hilarious. The lead "guy" was a Father named Harry Schilt. Needless to say, the teacher didn't intend it to be a serious lesson, just something to laugh at. (Which we all where, inculded the entire section of the religion department. All the teacher came into the room to watch).

[Ulfskull(.),,(.)]

They have a priest who specializes in the occult? Hmmm.....When we talk about werewolves, we are either idiots or crazy but if a priest talks about werewolves, then he's an 'expert.'

I don't think that the "Beasts of Satan" are even religious. Here in America, there has never been a recording of an actual cult that actually beleived in Satan. Usually when people expect that such a cult is responsible for whatever crime, it turns out that it was jsut a bunch of teenagers playing a prank.

Then there was that one time when a christian burnt down three churches and evryone thought that a cult was responsible. It turned out that the guy was jsut crazy.

And I don't blame the minority religions for being a little worried. I'm not saying that the church will falsely accuse them, I'm jsut saying that they might. No one's perfect and we all make mistakes. Especialy when we are being driven by fear.

Good luck to them with catching those criminals. I think that they are over reacting a little bit but whatever makes them happy.

[ThrasherCub]

I don't think that the "Beasts of Satan" are even religious.
Probably not. Things like that are usually more acts of rebellion and an excuse to kill. That the killings are ritualized is simply product of the nature of the excuse, with no real feeling or intent behind it.

[DarkHunter]

They have a priest who specializes in the occult? Hmmm.....When we talk about werewolves, we are either idiots or crazy but if a priest talks about werewolves, then he's an 'expert.'

I don't think that the "Beasts of Satan" are even religious. Here in America, there has never been a recording of an actual cult that actually beleived in Satan.

Yeah we're just nuts.

Well there are religious groups that believe in a more literal devil. Diane Vera and the Church of Azazel, the Joy of Satan, Geifodd, etc. Diane Vera and Geifodd are actually quite respectable people. Fair minded. The JoS is a little nuts.

[LordNexthor]

Looks little that satanic cult are wide spread in some parts of the world. In Puerto Rico (where I live), there is a group of neo satanist that are suspected of be the authors of a massacre ocurred in Puerto Rico last year, the incident was called the San Sebastian Massacre. I think that was 5-6 persons murder in that night. Besides, that were found some abandoned houses used like temple for those groups. I have a documentary about this issue in DVD format. Where this invetigators went to this house;because they were told that the house was haunted. But as soon they get in to the entrance they see the house completed write it with symbols and phrases related with this kind of cult. I will try to take pics of the documentary and post it here later. i just wanted to contribute with the theme. That's it all.