The Story Of Davidito Book -
"The Story of Davidito" is a children's picture book by Antonio Skármeta, with illustrations by Maria Luisa Amunátegui (original Spanish edition) and various translated editions. It tells the tale of Davidito, a young boy living under a repressive political regime who learns about resistance, memory, and hope through small acts and relationships. The text mixes simple, child-centered narration with political subtext, using everyday details to render complex themes accessible to young readers.
The story of the Davidito Book is more than just a true crime oddity. It serves as a crucial warning about the dangers of charismatic leadership, religious exemption laws, and the deification of "alternative" parenting.
The Raëlian Movement still exists today, with an estimated 55,000 members worldwide. They continue to operate UFO-themed resorts and run a company called Clonaid, which fraudulently claimed to have cloned a human baby. Raël still leads them from a location he refuses to disclose. And copies of The Story of Davidito—whether in police evidence lockers or hidden in a follower’s basement—still exist.
What makes The Story of Davidito so horrific to modern readers is its brazen honesty. The book did not hide the abuse; it celebrated it. Interspersed with innocent photos of a toddler playing are descriptions and images that normalized sexual interaction between adults and children. The Story Of Davidito Book
Under the guise of "sexual education" and "sharing," the book documented caregivers engaging in sexual acts with the young boy. It framed these violations as expressions of love and religious devotion. The book instructed parents that children were sexual beings from birth and that suppressing their "natural" urges—or denying the affection of the "Family"—was a sin.
By publishing this, the cult created a closed loop of validation. When a member looked at the book, they saw the leader’s own son being subjected to this treatment. If it was good enough for the "Prince," the logic went, it was good enough for their own children. It weaponized the innocence of a child to validate the predilections of a predator.
In the mid-1980s, Raël announced a radical plan. He claimed that the Elohim had a specific request: to create a child who would be raised from infancy in the "proper" Raëlian way, free from the "corrupting" influences of traditional family, religion, and societal morals. This child would serve as a living model for all future Raëlian children. "The Story of Davidito" is a children's picture
Raël selected one of his most devoted French followers, a woman who agreed to conceive a child via artificial insemination using sperm from Raël himself. The idea was not just to create a random child, but a "superior being"—half prophet’s blood, half devoted follower. On November 19, 1984, Kristopher David Walton was born in Quebec, Canada.
Raël named him Davidito—a portmanteau of "David" (beloved) and "ito" (Spanish for little). From birth, Davidito was removed from his biological mother and placed in the care of a rotating team of "guardian angels" (Raëlian hierarchy members). He was not allowed to attend public school, visit doctors outside the cult, or form emotional bonds with any single caretaker. His entire life was an experiment.
For seven years, Davidito lived this hidden life, unaware of the outside world. But in 1992, a turning point occurred. Several former Raëlian members, horrified by the contents of The Story of Davidito, contacted Canadian child protective services. The Raëlian Movement still exists today, with an
An investigation revealed that the book was not allegorical—it was a literal log of abuse. Forensic analysis of photographs and videos mentioned in the book’s "Camera Game" section found that child pornography had indeed been produced. The Quebec police raided Raëlian properties and seized copies of the book, videos, and other materials.
In 1993, Kristopher David Walton, then 9 years old, was removed from the cult by court order. He was placed in foster care and given psychological rehabilitation. His identity was sealed to protect him from the Raëlian Movement, which continued to operate internationally.
Davidito’s biological mother was convicted of neglect, though she claimed she had been coerced by Raël. Raël himself fled to Japan and then Switzerland, avoiding extradition by claiming diplomatic immunity as a "religious leader." To this day, Raël has never faced trial for the contents of the Davidito Book.