The two girls accused in the Slender Man stabbing trial are to be tried as adults.
Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier were both 12 at the time, and according to Wisconsin law they were automatically placed in adult court. In that state anyone over ten charged with first-degree murder is considered an adult.
They lured their friend Peyton Leutner into the woods and stabbed her 19 times, miraculously she survived the attack.
They said they did it to appease the fictional character Slender Man, an Internet meme often described as a tall, faceless black and white figure.
If tried as adults they could face up to 65 years in jail, rather than the five years they would face as juveniles, with all records of the proceeding being sealed.
Defence lawyers have argued that the girls are mentally ill and would receive better treatment in the juvenile system.
It’s a serious crime, but I don’t think trying the two girls as adults is a sensible way to rehabilitate them.
