A growing cross-jurisdictional tracker · 86 core map records · 105 case pages · 222 source records
37%
U.S. prevalence estimate
A 2023 survey of 1,581 U.S. adults estimated that religious trauma may affect as many as 37% when respondents reporting at least three of six major symptoms were included. Read the study
This tracker applies a narrower test: documented harm in which belief, ritual, an institution or spiritual authority materially enabled coercion.
Index 01
Select a tradition to narrow the case record and map.
Index 02
This index orders independently documented records by date. Adjacency here does not indicate a shared cause, lineage, organization or tradition.
1995London, UK
Ward judgment: High Court findings on Children of God child sexual abuse
1996Moundsville, WV, USA
Kirtanananda (New Vrindaban): racketeering plea; Drescher convicted of murders of dissidents
1997Tiruchirappalli, India
Swami Premananda: convicted of 13 rapes + murder; double life; died in custody
1998Volta Region, Ghana
Trokosi ritual servitude of girls (~1,400)
1998San Mateo, CA, USA
Donald Walters / Swami Kriyananda and Ananda: civil verdict on abuse of spiritual authority
2001London, UK
'Adam' — child ritual murder, torso in the Thames
2001London, UK
Victoria Climbié: murder convictions; possession belief; Laming Inquiry followed
2003London, UK
Hackney 'witch-child' torture case
2004Kenner, LA, USA
Louisiana curse-removal fraud convictions
2007Newark, NJ, USA
State v. Miraballes — Palo Mayombe grave-robbing
2009Paris, France
Church of Scientology convicted of organized fraud (upheld 2013)
2009Sedona, AZ, USA
James Arthur Ray: three negligent-homicide convictions after “Spiritual Warrior” sweat lodge
2009Victoria, Australia
Stawingua Dresen: eight convictions for assaults during claimed chakra healing
2010Grand'Anse, Haiti
2010 cholera lynchings: 45+ killed, mostly Vodou priests
2010Oregon City, OR, USA
Beagley faith-healing death: parents convicted (criminally negligent homicide)
2011Kidwelly, Wales
Colin Batley occult sex cult: indeterminate sentence, min 11 years
2011Driftwood, TX, USA
Prakashanand Saraswati: 20 counts child molestation; fled, fugitive
2012Canterbury, UK
Osolase — juju sex-trafficking conviction (20 yrs)
2012Brooklyn, NY, USA
Nechemya Weberman: 103 years, 59 counts of sexual abuse (Satmar counselor)
2012Birmingham, UK
Naila Mumtaz: four family members convicted of murder in jinn-'exorcism' smothering
2012Kingston, ON, Canada
Shafia murders: three convicted of killing four family members ('twisted notion of honour' — the judge)
2012London, UK
Kristy Bamu: kindoki 'deliverance' murder convictions (30/25-yr minimums)
2012Colliguay, Quilpué, Chile
Antares de la Luz: convictions after an apocalyptic group’s ritual killing of an infant
2013New York, NY, USA
NYC psychic curse-removal fraud (5-15 yrs)
2013Novosibirsk, Russia
Konstantin Rudnev: 11-year sentence for crimes committed through the Ashram Shambala group
2014Philadelphia, PA, USA
Schaible: 3rd-degree murder, second child dead of untreated pneumonia
2016Benin
Benin 'voodoo convents' — child servitude for ritual debt
2016Sydney, Australia
Royal Commission Case Study 29: 1,006 alleged JW perpetrators, none reported to police
2016Los Angeles, CA, USA
Bikram Choudhury: civil jury — 'malice, oppression and fraud'; $7.3M; left US
2017Bruges, Belgium
Bruges: Nigerian voodoo-trafficking ring convicted
2017Sirsa, India
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: 20 years, rape of two followers (Dera Sacha Sauda)
2018Benin City, Nigeria
Oba of Benin revokes juju trafficking oaths
2018Spain
Europol op: 89 arrests, Nigerian juju trafficking ring
2018Paris, France
Paris trial — voodoo-oath sex-trafficking network
2018Birmingham, UK
Iyamu — 1st Modern Slavery Act cross-border juju conviction
2018Brockton, MA, USA
MA child-torture cases charged as 'voodoo ritual'
2018Jodhpur, India
Asaram Bapu: life imprisonment, rape of a minor under exorcism pretext
2018Si Sa Ket, Thailand
Wirapol Sukphol (ex-monk): 16 years, rape of a 13-year-old
2018Harrisburg, PA, USA
PA grand jury: 301 priests, 1,000+ child victims documented ('weaponized' faith)
2018Ramanagara, India
Nithyananda: rape charges framed; non-bailable warrant; fled India 2019 (never tried)
2019Marseille, France
Marseille: Supreme Vikings juju-oath trafficking convictions
2019Milan, Italy
Milan: voodoo 'mental dependency' slavery conviction
2019Vatican City
McCarrick: ex-cardinal found guilty by Vatican canonical process, laicized
2019Abadiânia, Brazil
João Teixeira de Faria ('John of God'): convicted of rapes of spiritual patients; ~600 accusers
2020Limpopo, South Africa
Hlungwani ritual murder: 4 relatives, life
2020Albany, NY, USA
NXIVM/Keith Raniere: 120 years — branding, collateral, sex trafficking
2020Glasgow, UK
Derek Lincoln (Children of God): guilty plea, 11.5 years, rape of two children
2021Mount Dora, FL, USA
Grave desecration for a Palo Mayombe shrine
2021Valladolid, Spain
Spain Supreme Court upholds voodoo-oath trafficking (20 yrs)
2021Cullinan, South Africa
Gabisile Shabane: child killed for muti (life terms)
2021London, UK
Danyal Hussein: life, murders of Bibaa Henry & Nicole Smallman (blood-pact)
2021Paris, France
CIASE/Sauvé Report: est. 216,000 abused by French clergy since 1950
2021Quapaw, OK, USA
Carl Gene Ortner Jr.: conviction after posing as a Native spiritual counselor
2022Malawi
Malawi albino ritual murder: 155-year sentences
2022Woodridge, NY, USA
Lev Tahor leaders convicted: kidnapping + child exploitation (forced child marriage)
2022Vicenza, Italy
Ethan Melzer (O9A): 45 years, plot to ambush his own Army unit
2022Bisbee, AZ, USA
LDS 'help line' case (AP/court records): abuse continued 7 yrs; wife convicted
2022Bandung, Indonesia
Herry Wirawan: life sentence for abuse of students under pesantren authority
2022Kayunga, Uganda
Uganda v. Sentongo: infant murder and aggravated trafficking for ritual exploitation
2023Lausanne, Switzerland
Swiss court — juju sex-trafficking conviction
2023West Bountiful, UT, USA
Carl Matthew Johnson (LDS bishop, ex-mayor): 9-to-life, child sexual abuse
2023Toledo, OH, USA
Michael Zacharias: life sentence for trafficking victims groomed through priestly authority
2023Paris, France
Gregorian Bivolaru / MISA: French judicial investigation for aggravated rape and human trafficking
2024Vredenburg, South Africa
Joslin Smith — mother charged, muti trafficking of a child
2024Cité Soleil, Haiti
Massacre: 184 killed on a Vodou priest's witchcraft accusation
2024Jacmel, Haiti
Dana Jackson (US) dies at a manbo initiation retreat
2024Washington, DC, USA
DC 'psychic' $4M extortion scheme (10+ yrs)
2024Hertfordshire, UK
Makhan Singh Mauji (granthi): 24+ years, sexual assaults on three girls
2024Phoenix, AZ, USA
Samuel Bateman: 50-year sentence in child-marriage and sexual-abuse conspiracy
2024Philadelphia, PA, USA
Richard Densmore: 30-year sentence for 764-network exploitation and coercion
2024Longford, Ireland
David Reilly: conviction for assault during an energy-healing session
2024Gran Canaria, Spain
Gran Canaria court convicts a Santería practitioner who used rites to assault a child
2025Tucson, AZ, USA
Baron Martin (764 network): DOJ terrorism-support charges (indictment — charges only)
2025Towaoc, CO, USA
Lyndreth Hemp Wall: 15 federal convictions for assaults during purported spiritual treatment
2025Brooklyn, NY, USA
OneTaste leaders convicted of forced-labor conspiracy
2025Daejeon, South Korea
Jeong Myeong-seok / JMS: Supreme Court affirms 17-year sentence
2025Kansas City, KS, USA
United Nation of Islam leaders sentenced in child forced-labor conspiracy
2025Manila, Philippines
Apollo Quiboloy / KOJC: Philippine proceedings and separate U.S. trafficking indictment
2025Salt Lake County, UT, USA
Former LDS bishop Mark Lehnhof Stevens charged with assaulting a minor during religious counseling
2026Miami, FL, USA
Little River: Haitian-Vodou threat to traffic a victim
2026London, UK
Imam Abdul Halim Khan: life, 21 sexual offences; victims' beliefs used to silence them (CPS)
2026Las Vegas, NV, USA
Nathan Chasing Horse: 13 felony convictions and 37-years-to-life sentence
2026Detroit, MI, USA
Kingdom of God Global Church leaders charged in multi-state forced-labor conspiracy
2026Orange, NJ, USA
Jesus Is Lord by the Holy Ghost pastors charged with forced labor; Treva Edwards also charged with sex trafficking
2026Baltimore, MD, USA
Erik Madison: 764 member pleads guilty to exploiting minors
2026The Hague, Netherlands
The Hague court convicts a spiritual healer of rape and sexual assault during healing sessions