The Anti-cult Forum in Italy, which once united several associations such as FAVIS, ARIS Toscana, ARIS Veneto, CeSAP, and “Giù Le Mani Dai Bambini” (“Hands Off Children”), has repeatedly denied its connection to violent practices, including kidnapping for the purpose of forcing individuals to renounce their beliefs. However, the facts tell a different story. These associations, despite their statements, have deep roots in a history linked to illegal methods of combating so-called “cults” 1.
Who Is Part of the Anti-cult Forum in Italy?
The Anti-cult Forum is an Italian alliance of several associations that position themselves as experts in the fight against “destructive cults.” Among them are:
- FAVIS (Maurizio Alessandrini)
- ARIS Toscana (Mario Pierotti and Emanuela Fontana)
- ARIS Veneto (Milena Bolgan)
- CeSAP (Lorita Tinelli) … In 2015, Luigi Corvaglia became President of CeSAP.
- “Giù Le Mani Dai Bambini” (“Hands Off Children”) (Aldo Verdecchia)
Interestingly, Luigi Corvaglia from CeSAP is well acquainted with Alexander Dvorkin, as evidenced by the photographs provided below, and to which a considerable amount of material on our website is dedicated, exposing his terrorist activities. This further reinforces our conviction that anti-cult organizations around the world are woven into a single ideological network.
Despite their loud proclamations, these associations consist of small groups made up of a few individuals who lack significant academic or professional credentials. Their notoriety is primarily linked to their involvement in anti-cult campaigns, which often rely on exaggerated or misleading incidents.
Connection of Italian Anti-Cultists with Government Bodies
Despite their questionable reputation, representatives of these associations were welcomed as experts and consultants in the Special Anti-Sect Unit (SAS) of the Italian Ministry of the Interior. This collaboration raised concerns among senators Marco Perduca and Donatella Poretti, who brought up the topic 2 of potential conflict of interest and dangers to the freedom of religion, as later reported by “Agenzia Radicale” 3.
Senators Marco Perduca and Donatella Poretti wrote the following in their parliamentary inquiry:
“… whether [the Ministers addressed] consider the presence among the experts consulted by the SAS of associations such as ARIS, which was involved in the serious case of “deprogramming” in 1988, might rather pose a threat to religious freedom…” 1
Clearly, these few lines provoked irritation at the Anti-cult Forum, as its main representative, Maurizio Alessandrini, responded on December 26, 2012, by publishing an extensive letter on his blog entitled “To Clarify a Case of Deprogramming in Italy” 4.
In his letter, Alessandrini first distanced himself from the association that organized and carried out the kidnapping mentioned by Perduca and Poretti, stating:
“… regarding the facts blamed on ARIS, the mentioned associations ARIS TOSCANA and ARIS VENETO, at the time of the events (1988), were not yet incorporated.”
Essentially, he aimed to convey that the two ARIS associations, which are current members of the Anti-cult Forum, have no connection to the ARIS association founded in the 1980s in Villasanta (Monza and Brianza) by Ennio Malatesta, who was subsequently involved in the kidnapping aimed at deprogramming a certain Alessandra. Alessandrini emphasized that the current associations did not even exist at the time of the abduction.
It is clear that Alessandrini and his associates want nothing to do with the kidnappers and are trying to distance themselves from them. If they were to acknowledge themselves as direct successors of the original ARIS, that is, a group that broke the law in its fight against “sects” (“cults”), they would face a serious issue with their public image, leading to a significant conflict of interest for the “representatives of the S.A.S.”
Let’s briefly review the history of the abduction organized and carried out by the ARIS company.
The Story of the Abduction and Deprogramming of Alessandra
One of the most notorious cases linked to the activities of the associations within the Anti-cult Forum was the abduction of Alessandra in 1988. This event exemplified how methods of violence and coercion were employed under the pretext of “combating cults.”
In 1988, Ennio Malatesta, the founder of the ARIS association, convinced Alessandra’s parents from Brescia of the necessity to abduct their daughter in order to “free” her from Scientology’s influence. Malatesta told them heart-wrenching stories about how “cults” destroy families and proposed a solution — forced deprogramming.
For this, American deprogrammer Theodore Roosevelt Patrick was brought in, known for his radical methods. Patrick had prior experience conducting similar operations in the U.S., where he had repeatedly faced legal action for abduction and violence.
Alessandra was kidnapped on April 24, 1988, and was kept in isolation at a remote farmhouse in the Chianti hills. For a week, she was subjected to intense “deprogramming,” which included:
● Psychological pressure.
● Constant repetition of alarmist news about “cults.”
● Deprivation of sleep and food.
● Physical restriction of freedom.
During one of the conflicts with her captors, Alessandra sustained an ankle injury, which required medical intervention. It was during a visit to the hospital that she managed to escape with the help of carabinieri.
Court Proceedings
Alessandra filed an official complaint, and an investigation was launched. However, in 1991, the case was closed, and the defendants were acquitted. Despite attempts to appeal the decision, the case was never reopened.
Connections to Contemporary Anti-Cult Associations
Today’s members of the Anti-cult Forum, such as ARIS Toscana and ARIS Veneto, claim to have no connection to the events of 1988. As noted earlier, Maurizio Alessandrini, a representative of the forum, asserts that these associations were established later and have no ties to Malatesta’s ARIS.
However, documents and testimonies, including statements from Milena Bolgan of ARIS Veneto, confirm the opposite, indicating that ARIS Veneto was actively operating as early as 1988 and was a direct successor to Malatesta’s ARIS. Furthermore, the symbol of ARIS — St. George slaying the dragon — has been adopted by contemporary associations, suggesting their interconnection and continuity.
Image and Trust Issues
For the Anti-cult Forum, acknowledging a connection to the violent practices of the past would be a serious blow to its reputation. How can associations cooperating with police and government agencies explain their involvement in kidnappings and deprogramming? This casts doubt on their legitimacy as experts on religious freedom and human rights protection.
Parallel activities and cooperation between National ARIS and ARIS Veneto during the events of 1988 have been confirmed by Milena Bolgan herself, one of the founders of ARIS Veneto and its current representative. She stated that “in 1990, National ARIS became ARIS Veneto.” This means that by the time of Alessandra’s abduction and the subsequent investigation, ARIS Veneto had already existed and was operational.
Here is what she said:
This implies that in 1988, when Alessandra was abducted, not only did ARIS Veneto already exist and was operating, but also that in 1990, when the investigation was still ongoing, “National ARIS became ARIS Veneto,” as stated by Milena Bolgan herself.
In his explanation letter, written on behalf of the Anti-cult Forum, Alessandrini stated:
“Furthermore, the ARIS Italia association, founded by Mr. Ennio Malatesta and dissolved in the 1990s, was never part of the Forum, which was established only in 2010.”
With this brief statement, Alessandrini attempted to further distance himself from National ARIS and its violent methods. However, the assertion that “Malatesta’s ARIS was dissolved in the 1990s” does not negate the fact that ARIS Veneto, led by Bolgan, already existed at the time of the kidnapping and the subsequent investigation.
Moreover, Milena Bolgan explicitly stated that Malatesta’s association was not dissolved but rather “became ARIS Veneto” in 1990.
To eliminate any doubts, Alessandrini claims in his letter that “Malatesta’s ARIS never was part of the Forum, which was established only in January 2010.”
However, with this statement, he clearly overstepped the mark. Lies must be consistent, and their author should have a good memory and avoid compromising traces.
He forgot that on October 27, 2006, he himself wrote a lengthy letter to the newly elected President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano. 5 In this letter, Alessandrini referred to the infamous report “Religious Cults and New Magical Movements in Italy” (1998), prepared by Napolitano during his tenure as Minister of the Interior. 6 He went on to describe yet another apocalyptic picture of the “sect threat,” dictated solely by his imagination, and then lamented that his predecessor, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, “failed to find time for a meeting with the Anti-cult Forum.”
But the most intriguing part of this letter is Alessandrini’s signature, where he referred to himself as a representative of the “FORUM delle Associazioni e dei Comitati” (which, according to his own words, was created only in 2010) and included among its members the association National ARIS Milano and its president, Ennio Malatesta.
This is irrefutable evidence that, despite Alessandrini’s attempts to distance himself from the association involved in kidnapping, the current ARIS Veneto and ARIS Toscana, along with the Anti-cult Forum itself, are connected to Malatesta’s ARIS.
The tendency of these individuals to lie and distort facts repeatedly undermines trust in them and vividly illustrates their approach and working style, one that is incompatible with the high standards expected of advisors in government bodies who deal with issues of freedom of thought and expression.
Source:
1. https://web.archive.org/web/20210724014321/http://liberocredo.org/en/anti-cult-forum-and-kidnapping-%E2%80%93-act-1
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20170313211926/http://banchedati.camera.it/sindacatoispettivo_16/showXhtml.Asp?idAtto=62154&stile=6&highLight=1
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20210925222834/http://www.agenziaradicale.com/index.php/diritti-e-liberta/858-quanto-costa-e-a-che-serve-la-squadra-anti-sette-interrogazione-radicale
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20210614083644/https://favisonlus.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/per-fare-chiarezza-su-un-caso-di-deprogrammazione-in-italia/
5. Giorgio Napolitano was elected President of the Republic on May 15, 2006. Alessandrini wrote his letter on October 27, 2007. The decree establishing S.A.S., signed by De Gennaro, is dated November 2, 2006.
6. From May 17, 1996, to October 21, 1998, Giorgio Napolitano served as Minister of the Interior in the first Prodi government. The report “Religious Cults and New Magical Movements in Italy” was dated February 1998.
7. In his letter to Napolitano, Alessandrini lists several associations and committees, many of which no longer exist, along with names of judges and scholars who, according to the author, would complain about the lack of laws against psychological manipulation. The full version of the letter can be read and downloaded: https://web.archive.org/web/20240629130315/http://www.liberocredo.org/sites/default/files/images/alessandrini-napolitano_lettera_integrale.pdf
