These events in the early eighties show what can happen when moral righteousness outweighs fact, and how our best intentions can lead to tragic consequences. Similar is happening today with many adults with strong beliefs in conspiracy theories without any facts or evidence.
In these cases hundreds of children across north america were influenced by false information from parents and others they trusted. This hysteria and panic led to many convictions and decades of prison time for many innocent people and many of the children being traumatized for life by things that never actually happened.
There was a few cases where there was actual evidence of abuse but it was not satanic and the majority of cases were rooted in hysteria.