Tags
acitivist, advocacy, Advocate, children, crime, jail, legal justice, mental health, mental illness, mentally ill, murder, prison, psychiatry, psychology, schizophrenia, slender man, Treatment
In any crime the victim should receive the first consideration, in my opinion. With that in mind, the first thing to say about this case and this situation is that I am glad that Payton Leutner survived, and I hope she receives all the psychological help she needs in order to live a happy and productive life.
The two girls who committed the crime, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, are being called the “Slender Man Girls” because they planned to kill their friend, Payton Leutner, for months in order to please the modern day boogey man, Slender Man.
Yesterday a judge ruled that the Geyser and Weier would be tried as adults. The girls were twelve years old when they stabbed their friend nineteen times and left her to die. I know that is gruesome, but the fact remains that after a year in lock up, they are only thirteen right now.
The worst part of this for me is that a doctor has said the Geyser has schizophrenia and she has gone untreated while in custody. According to the doctor who diagnosed her, her delusions are getting worse. She still believes in Slender Man, and she believes she is friends with characters from Harry Potter.
All the studies suggest that early treatment of schizophrenia is important for successful treatment and for recovery rate. A person should be treated as soon as possible after their first episode of psychosis.
Not only is there a possibility that a mentally ill girl will be tried as an adult, she has been denied treatment for a year while she is in custody which could mean that once she does receive treatment, she will never fully recover, or may not respond well to meds.
I believe it is cruel and unusual punishment to deny treatment to someone who is delusional and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. I also believe her life has been completely changed and damaged by the crime she committed already and to keep her from treatment and possibly condemn her to a life of delusions, fantasies, and other symptoms of schizophrenia by delaying her treatment is outrageous. It is barbaric. She is thirteen. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t understand all the consequences of my behavior at thirteen.
I care about the victim first and foremost, but we have two other children to think about, and one of them has untreated schizophrenia.
Is this rehabilitation? Is this justice? Is this ethical? Is it humane?
You decide.
I agree that Geyser should have received treatment over the past year. It isn’t fair that people who picked up off the street will be given access or receive short term treatment while in custody. Why should it change because she is a child?
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Yes, she should receive treatment! I think it is terrible. Thanks for commenting.
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How very sad. Those in law enforcement aren’t always the most sensitive or compassionate. Especially toward criminals, whether mentally ill or not. They probably have very little understanding of schizophrenia. In their minds, there’s nothing to treat. They may believe that the girl, her mind, is already gone.
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It is so upsetting to me. I think all people deserve treatment. WOW, and she is only 13!
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I really couldn’t even follow the news stories on this. I just felt too upset. For many, many reasons.
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It is terrible!
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Twelve- and thirteen-year-olds are still children. Their brains are not yet fully developed. The number one priority in dealing with children who commit terrible crimes should be treatment and rehabilitation. There is still hope for them. As horrendous as the crime was, I oppose trying children as adults.
Beyond that, even if Geyser were an adult, she should receive treatment for her mental illness while she is incarcerated, just like any prisoner should receive treatment for diabetes or other chronic conditions. It is not part of their sentence (I know, Geyser hasn’t been tried or sentenced yet) to forego medical treatment.
Right now Ireland is refusing to extradite an American accused of conspiracy to support to terrorism, not because they think he is not guilty, but because they consider American high security prisons to be inhumane. We need a lot of improvement in our judicial system, and I agree with you that proper treatment of prisoners with mental illness is one part of what needs to change.
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Very well thought out comment. I agree with you about the girls being children. I didn’t know the story about Ireland – I’m not surprised. We really need to open more psych hospitals and start treating people there instead of in prison. Since most of the hospitals closed in the 80’s and 90’s – there are no beds, and too few treatment facilities. It is tragic.
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So sad
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I know.
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