International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation■ Vol. 2, 2021 55
collateral can be part of the grooming
process, whereby “the victim finds
themselves willingly handing over money or
assets, engaging in inappropriate, illegal, or
morally ambiguous activities (for example,
sharing nude photos or videos of
themselves)” (MOBIEG, 2019, para. 19).
Each DOS slave was beholden to her master’s
requests at all times—as embodied by
“readiness drills.” This arduous procedure
necessitated complete obedience and loyalty
to one’s master. Raniere and other masters
would text, “?” to a slave, who then had 60
seconds to respond. Occurring day or night
(United States of America v. Raniere, 2019,
p. 1606), Raniere designed this demeaning
practice to discipline women (2019, p. 1611)
and he punished those who failed to reply to
the text. Edmondson reports that paddling,
whipping, and other physical reprimands
were typical (Edmondson &Gasbarre, 2019,
p. 181 United States of America v. Raniere,
2019, pp. 1636–1637) although, at times,
Raniere and other masters exercised
vindictive psychological torments too.36
Raniere frequently tested the inner circle and
DOS women’s sexual loyalty (see Lalich,
1997), acquiring greater power in the
process. Regulating “sexual preferences or
relationships” (Lalich, 1997, p. 12) is an
example of such testing. As noted previously,
Raniere demanded monogamy from his
partners whilst he maintained multiple sexual
photograph in which each slave had to pose naked, pubic brands on
view, and looking happy. The image was sent to him for his
approval. Sometimes Raniere attended the meetings, always sitting
on a chair above the women as they sat on the floor below him
(United States of America v. Raniere, 2019, pp. 1510–1511).
36 Edmondson &Gasbarre (2019), Natalie (Natalie &Hardin, 2019),
Oxenberg &Stoynoff (2019), and testimonies heard during
Raniere’s court trial revealed Raniere’s various cruel psychological
tactics, many of which caused women a great deal of anxiety, pain,
and humiliation. For example, he made jokes of a sexual nature
about specific women in front of others (United States of America v.
Raniere, 2019, p. 2452) he often emotionally isolated women by
refusing to talk to them when they fell out of his favor (2019, p.
relationships. Frequently, Raniere requested,
coerced, and or initiated sex with more than
one female partner at once (United States of
America v. Raniere, 2019, pp. 2417–2420
2442 2460) and on one occasion he tried to
initiate sex with sisters Daniela and Marianna
(2019, p. 2418).37
According to Lalich, with every loyalty test,
women’s esteem deteriorates, as does their
sense of personal autonomy (Lalich, 1997, p.
12). Moreover, testing loyalty “may be done
in a sexually sadistic manner, further
debilitating the follower and increasing
personal confusion and dependency on the
leader” (Lalich, 1997, p. 12). Raniere
intended to install a “three and a half feet tall
by four feet wide” steel “sex cage” in a
“dungeon” in the DOS sorority-house
basement. Raniere planned to cage women so
that they would surrender themselves to
indefinite periods of isolation and
unpredictable conditions, so that they might
further their “growth.” Raniere planned to
use “nipple clamps, handcuffs, and bondage”
in this dungeon setting (United States of
America v. Raniere, 2019, pp. 1637–1640).38
To exhibit this level of loyalty to Raniere was
a fearful prospect for first-line slave Lauren
Salzman, who indicated to the court she did
not want to participate in this forthcoming
feature of DOS (2019, p. 1638).
Sinnamon proposes that sometimes the
narcissistic sexual predator is characterized
2461) and, as previously noted, in Daniela’s case he literally
imprisoned her for 2 years.
37 Raniere claimed that all women are bisexual, and he made fun of
Siobhan, a married lesbian (United States of America v. Raniere,
2019, p. 2459).
38 Whilst it may appear (if one is generous) that Raniere might have
been planning a consensual BDSM (bondage/discipline,
dominance/submission, sadism, and masochism) den, the evidence
shows that he held all of the power and deliberately planned the
experience to be one in which slaves had no say. Full consent is
critical in healthy BDSM relationships (Dunkley &Brotto, 2019, pp.
1–2 United States of America v. Raniere, 2019, p.1501).
collateral can be part of the grooming
process, whereby “the victim finds
themselves willingly handing over money or
assets, engaging in inappropriate, illegal, or
morally ambiguous activities (for example,
sharing nude photos or videos of
themselves)” (MOBIEG, 2019, para. 19).
Each DOS slave was beholden to her master’s
requests at all times—as embodied by
“readiness drills.” This arduous procedure
necessitated complete obedience and loyalty
to one’s master. Raniere and other masters
would text, “?” to a slave, who then had 60
seconds to respond. Occurring day or night
(United States of America v. Raniere, 2019,
p. 1606), Raniere designed this demeaning
practice to discipline women (2019, p. 1611)
and he punished those who failed to reply to
the text. Edmondson reports that paddling,
whipping, and other physical reprimands
were typical (Edmondson &Gasbarre, 2019,
p. 181 United States of America v. Raniere,
2019, pp. 1636–1637) although, at times,
Raniere and other masters exercised
vindictive psychological torments too.36
Raniere frequently tested the inner circle and
DOS women’s sexual loyalty (see Lalich,
1997), acquiring greater power in the
process. Regulating “sexual preferences or
relationships” (Lalich, 1997, p. 12) is an
example of such testing. As noted previously,
Raniere demanded monogamy from his
partners whilst he maintained multiple sexual
photograph in which each slave had to pose naked, pubic brands on
view, and looking happy. The image was sent to him for his
approval. Sometimes Raniere attended the meetings, always sitting
on a chair above the women as they sat on the floor below him
(United States of America v. Raniere, 2019, pp. 1510–1511).
36 Edmondson &Gasbarre (2019), Natalie (Natalie &Hardin, 2019),
Oxenberg &Stoynoff (2019), and testimonies heard during
Raniere’s court trial revealed Raniere’s various cruel psychological
tactics, many of which caused women a great deal of anxiety, pain,
and humiliation. For example, he made jokes of a sexual nature
about specific women in front of others (United States of America v.
Raniere, 2019, p. 2452) he often emotionally isolated women by
refusing to talk to them when they fell out of his favor (2019, p.
relationships. Frequently, Raniere requested,
coerced, and or initiated sex with more than
one female partner at once (United States of
America v. Raniere, 2019, pp. 2417–2420
2442 2460) and on one occasion he tried to
initiate sex with sisters Daniela and Marianna
(2019, p. 2418).37
According to Lalich, with every loyalty test,
women’s esteem deteriorates, as does their
sense of personal autonomy (Lalich, 1997, p.
12). Moreover, testing loyalty “may be done
in a sexually sadistic manner, further
debilitating the follower and increasing
personal confusion and dependency on the
leader” (Lalich, 1997, p. 12). Raniere
intended to install a “three and a half feet tall
by four feet wide” steel “sex cage” in a
“dungeon” in the DOS sorority-house
basement. Raniere planned to cage women so
that they would surrender themselves to
indefinite periods of isolation and
unpredictable conditions, so that they might
further their “growth.” Raniere planned to
use “nipple clamps, handcuffs, and bondage”
in this dungeon setting (United States of
America v. Raniere, 2019, pp. 1637–1640).38
To exhibit this level of loyalty to Raniere was
a fearful prospect for first-line slave Lauren
Salzman, who indicated to the court she did
not want to participate in this forthcoming
feature of DOS (2019, p. 1638).
Sinnamon proposes that sometimes the
narcissistic sexual predator is characterized
2461) and, as previously noted, in Daniela’s case he literally
imprisoned her for 2 years.
37 Raniere claimed that all women are bisexual, and he made fun of
Siobhan, a married lesbian (United States of America v. Raniere,
2019, p. 2459).
38 Whilst it may appear (if one is generous) that Raniere might have
been planning a consensual BDSM (bondage/discipline,
dominance/submission, sadism, and masochism) den, the evidence
shows that he held all of the power and deliberately planned the
experience to be one in which slaves had no say. Full consent is
critical in healthy BDSM relationships (Dunkley &Brotto, 2019, pp.
1–2 United States of America v. Raniere, 2019, p.1501).
