55. Jon Ronson: The Satanic Panic

When day-care employee, Kelly Michaels, is accused of playing the piano naked in front of children, she is speechless. The case escalates and soon Kelly Michaels is faced with charges of outlandish crimes. The trial changes her life forever. She spends years in prison before being exonerated.

On this episode of Bad People, Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen are joined by writer Jon Ronson, who interviewed Kelly Michaels for the podcast “Things Fell Apart”. They discuss how her case was part of a the Satanic Panic in the US, a wave of conspiracy theories that told tall tales of child-abusing Satanists.

This episode contain clips from the New York Times and BBC Radio 4, Things Fell Apart.

Warning: This episode includes descriptions of child abuse.

CREDITS Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Louisa Field Assistant Producer: Simona Rata Editor: Rami Tzabar Music: Matt Chandler Academic Consultants from The Open University: Dr James Munro Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland #BadPeople_BBC

Bad People is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds.