For a group of parents in Hampstead, north London, time is split in two. Before February 5, 2015, and after.
That day, at 4pm, the head teacher of their children’s primary school emailed to say some allegations had been made, although an investigation had found no evidence and was later closed. Confused, the parents searched online.
There they found thousands of social media posts and videos with millions of views, claiming the school was home to a satanic paedophile cult made up of the teachers and parents, police officers, social services and the local parish and its priest. Those posting said the cult bought babies and ritualistically ate them, and traded in children, whom they would sedate and then sexually abuse.
Parents were named as
