Date Published: 10/09/2021
ARCHIVED - One in five Spanish sects thought to be located in Alicante
ARCHIVED ARTICLE Experts think that Alicante has become a hub for satanic cults over the years
Although Spain is not a country known for having an abnormal number of sects, it is estimated that around one per cent of the population is involved with one of these fanatic groups and a large portion of these sects are said to be in the Valencia region, specifically the province of Alicante.
Of the 200 to 250 estimated sects in Spain, between 50 and 60 are in the Comunidad Valenciana, mostly in northern Alicante. According to a Psychiatry professor from the University of Cádiz, Leonardo Casais, one in five sects found in Spain are located in the province of Alicante.
The professor also believes that most of said sects are satanic, although other themes are also common, such as Christian, Hindu, animist and magical cults. These groups are known to prey on vulnerable individuals who are then psychologically manipulated into becoming fanatics.
Why are these sects so common in Alicante?
Casais believes that there are many reasons which have led to Alicante becoming a hub for different kinds of cults, including the geographical location of the province and the high number of immigrants who reside there.
One of his hypotheses is that there are large groups of immigrants from countries where religious rituals and sacrifices are common, or have been in the past, and who believe in spiritual energy, especially ‘Brazil and Haiti’. These immigrants, now living in Alicante, have continued with their religious rites, which are classed as sectarian in Spain.
However, sects are not exclusively made up by migrants, as many locals end up being drawn into cults as they are attracted by the satanic theme. In addition, the relatively recent rise in neo-gothic folklore and pseudosciences, which are more similar to spiritual beliefs than actual science, have increased people’s curiosity towards cults.
Alicante’s geographical characteristics have also said to have contributed to the large number of sects in the province. On one hand, Alicante has large cities with thousands of residents which allow sects to form unnoticed by the majority of the population and provide members with a sense of anonymity, and on the other hand, Alicante also has abundant rural areas where cults can operate with little to no intervention from local authorities.
Cults have certainly left their mark in Alicante over the years with multiple fanatic groups reaching mainstream media and one of the more prominent cases took place in
Alfaz del Pi in 1999, when a 35-year-old woman died after a ‘spiritual’ ritual, in which her husband was one of the participants.
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