Girls Stabbed Classmate to Please Slender Man

[Allison Finley]

While three 12 year old girls were having a sleepover in 2014, two of the girls lured the other girl, Payton Leutner, into the woods.  Once they were in the woods, the two young ladies stabbed Payton 19 times, but Payton still survived.  The two girls said they were inspired by Slender Man and wanted to please the character.  Slender Man is a fictional supernatural character who wears a dark suit, has no facial features, and is abnormally tall and thin.  Stories including the Slender Man often involve fear as the character traumatizes children.  Since the case is so serious, the girls were transferred to adult court and are sentenced with decades in prison. They were charged with first degree intentional homicide in the state of Wisconsin. 

I picked this article because I just took a class this summer on Juvenile Delinquency and I found it very interesting.  I believe the girls learned this behavior from idolizing Slender Man.  Since the case involves attempted murder, I believe the courts made the right decision in transferring them to adult court.  If they remained in juvenile court, they would receive a much more lenient sentence and potentially not realize how serious their actions are.  Although they have a harsh sentence, I believe the girls need a lot of counseling and therapy so they can get to the root of their issues.  Since Christianity focuses on grace and second chances, I believe the girls can absolutely change.  However, they must pay the consequences of their actions.  After they serve their time, if they are surrounded by positive examples, the girls could change.  I think it would also be necessary to meet with their parents and realize the backgrounds they come from.  

[kaitlyn]

It is concerning how serious of a crime can be done by girls as young as these girls were. It definitely brings up the question about the location of their parents during this time, as well as the past 11 years of these young girls lives. To whoever created this evil, fictional character, I would love to know their intentions behind the character and what age group they had in mind when they made up this character.

[Mackenzie Fitzgerald]

I took the same Juvenile Delinquency class, very interesting and I think it may provide some insight to this case. As you and Kaitlyn both said I would be questioning the parents of these two girls to see how they were raised and treated at home. People aren't born murderous or violent so to do this kind of thing to a friend at this young of an age just blows my mind. I went an read an article on this case and it sounds just flat out demonic! These girls were trying to prove their "loyalty" to slender man? Who comes up with that? They planned this murder for months, that just continues to lead me to wonder more and more about their home life? I read that one of the girls was for sure schizophrenic but what was the other one thinking? As a Christian I don't really even know how to respond to this. I don't know the right thing to do. I agree that 5 years in a juvenile jail may be to light of an alternative but 45 years in state prison (the current max sentence) seems to be a little hefty for a kid. I don't know.

[Jennifer Orocio]

These are the type of things that happen when there isn't adult supervision and also people to set good examples for the girls. As a youth pastor it hurts to see kids go through things  like that but I would have to agree with you. They did something that comes with consequences. I believe in second chances as well, as long as they are provided with programs and sources to help them live better lives.

[Regina Dixon]

Being the mother of a 12 year old son, this story really stood out.  As parents we have to monitor our children and their activities.  I probably get on my son's nerves, but I'm paying attention to the games he plays, the characters he's interested in, the television shows he watches, his conversation, and etc. Parents have to teach their children right from wrong and the difference between fiction and reality.  This isn't the first story I've heard of a child killing by another child.  It saddens me to see what the world has come to.  I agree that juvenile would not have been sufficient for the crime.  These girls need to realize the seriousness of their actions and the consequences that go along with that.  Hopefully the time, counseling, and God can help them to renew their mind and spirit.

[Steven Mark Schick]

This story is such a sad, extreme example of the vital role of parenting.  A lot of times I will see articles that blame these type of situations on television, video games, explicit music, etc.  However, when the rubber meets the road, the absence of good parenting is a huge piece and reason behind these types of events.  Of course, this affects every area of a child's life--relationships, media consumption, discipline, etc.  Now, I don't think that good parenting means a child will grow up and be perfect.  It just seems that parents cultivating a relationship with their kids, rather than throwing them in front of a screen 24/7, would severely limit situations such as this.

[Kristina Kenney]

This was a sad but very real example of the state our world is in. Of course this was a very serious offense and justice needs to be served. However, I would almost err on the side of mercy as opposed to (or maybe in addition to) justice for these girls. Considering their age and probably lack of guidance from their parents, it is obvious that these girls must be very lost and lost their way at some point. In my opinion, counseling should be a major part of the consequences of their actions. These girls (probably) don't need hard prison time where their hearts will only grow harder and they will grow up in a very unhealthy environment/reality. From a faith perspective, I know that they are more than able to be redeemed if they are willing. They can absolutely turn their lives around and are not lost causes, as many may write them off to be.