The torture of Sylvia Likens...

Being interested in true-crime, I have spent some of my time reading about real cases and murders. I happened to come across a particularily disturbing case where a young 16 year-old girl was abused and brutally tortured by her babysitter for three months.

I was curious if anybody had heard about this case before. For those who haven't, it really is interesting but really upsetting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Likens

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Radical

Holy shit. I can't believe the Baniszewski family and their cohorts got off so easily.



AGREED.

Absolutely. I wasn't alive until 24 years after her death so I never knew the girl yet I feel so deeply.. hurt by what happened to her. It just isn't human..

There's nowhere I can't reach.

What's most sad is that this girl's death went relatively unknown and today if I ask people if they've heard of her most people would say no. I often joke about death and enjoy gruesome movies such as the Saw series, but this story is just something much more. Even movies like Hostel and Saw don't feature the kind of torture that she had to go through.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Wow, that is really gruesome. It is quite similar to the Likens story in how she was imprisoned and tortured for a long period of time. I really think stories like these need to be told to heighten awareness, which is one reason why I posted it here.

I also believe there is a film coming out soon called An American Crime which is apparently about the Likens case. I hope it won't turn out to be the typical Hollywood garbage that constantly comes out now.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I hope that upon the release of the movies that the Baniszewskis are humiliated in front of the whole country. I hope that some reporter will go and interview the Baniszewski children (now adults) and others who participated in the crime and expose them for their crimes. 5-10 years is not enough for something this disgusting.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Erisu Kimu

I am saddened and disturbed by the two articles (Sylvia Likens & Junko Furuta). Stuff like this seems to happen a lot around the world and so few people ever get to know about it. Not only that, it's neglected by those who could've prevented it in some way or form. It makes me wonder about the different fates of human lives. You see a baby born tomorrow and you wonder if that baby will, in 16 years, face something as horrible and unfortunate as this.

Absolutely, that was one reason why I posted this story. To get it out there.

Quote:

I wish none of this happened

Don't we all?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by kupomog

Furuta's article was just as sad, wow. It really sucks to read about how many times someone could have done something for both Sylvia and Junko to save their lives, only to have them turn their head and ignore it for whatever reasons.

Yesterday I went around looking to see if the movie for Sylvia's story had any pics. I was able to find a site with a few behind-the-scenes pics, but this one is more of what I was looking for...



So that's supposed to premiere at Sundance this month around the 19th/20th. I actually kind of want to see it now that I've read through Wiki and Crime Library, but I just know I'm gonna be freaked out and/or crying during it.

Yeah, I don't know if I will see it. Imagining is enough, seeing may be worse.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Erisu Kimu

As for that movie. I don't want to see it. The real life tragedy was never prevented and for some reason, I'm kind of pissed that they made a movie out of it. Although, I understand that they're trying to show what happened. It's disturbing, inhuman and unsettling nevertheless.

Well it really depends on the film itself. If it is turned into an exploitive money making tool, then yes it will be a terrible thing for the movie to be made. However, if it is done right, is accurate, and is convincing then I think this film could be a highly influencial film. There should be no need to change the story; it is already disturbing and upsetting enough.

How ya doing, buddy?

Nothing really besides the fact that their stories were revealed to the public. I agree that there are many others out there who suffer similar fates and are just as tragic. I only chose the Likens story because it is one of the extreme examples I could find (not saying there aren't other similar if worse [though hard to imagine] stories).

Jam it back in, in the dark.