Wisconsin residents have likely heard about the Slender Man criminal case that has been constantly talked about across various media outlets over the last several months. The case is regarding a victim who survived 19 stab wounds. Supposedly, two teenage girls stabbed the female victim. These two girls, both 13 years of age, are facing various charges, which the defense believes should be moved to juvenile crimes court.
The 13-year-old girls are both facing charges of intentional homicide in the first degree. Apparently, there was a horror character that the girls read about online. When they reportedly stabbed the other girl, they were trying to please this character, who is known as Slender Man.
A forensic psychologist has said that one of the 13-year-old girls may have early-onset schizophrenia. It appears that this may have been genetic, as her father had been diagnosed with the same mental condition. He had ended up in the hospital for treatment of his condition as an adolescent. A judge is expected to rule in August on whether the girls’ requests for their cases to be moved to juvenile court should be allowed.
The reason that the defense attorneys for these girls want the cases to be heard in juvenile crimes court is because there is typically more leeway than in adult court. Teenagers make mistakes, but a criminal conviction — even just a juvenile record — can have devastating long-term effects on a teen’s future. For Wisconsin residents who have a teen who has been criminally charged, it may be helpful to become familiar with courtroom processes in order to make wise decisions on their children’s behalves.
Source: postbulletin.com, “Family history of schizophrenia revealed in Slender Man case”, June 17, 2015