Sylvia Likens - Murder victim

[Neil]

I'd never heard of poor Sylvia Likens until today... and I wish I never had!

http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/horror/bedlambound/library/indiana.html

I'm always astounded how cruel not just individuals can be, but how a pack mentality can seem to take over so groups act despicably, and how otherwise normal people are seemingly just a small step away from becoming absolute monsters!

[slickwilly13]

At least, the bitch died of lung cancer. Hopefully, they were beaten and abused in prison. F*cking monsters, indeed.

[Morto Vivente]

The daughter Paula convicted of 2nd degree murder worked as a teacher's aid for several years until she was exposed last year.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/iowa-teachers-aide-fired-role-grisly-1965-killing/story?id=17555655#.UYPdPaL-ExA

[Neil]

You have to seriously wonder about anyone who could even let those sort off event go unreported.... let alone take part in them!

[Morto Vivente]

Crimes of passion I can understand, but this type of systematic and premeditated abuse on such a scale is well fu*ked up. I've heard of sadistic families, but small communities in a "modern" world....The mind boggles.

Didn't the parents of the other children outside the Banizewski crack-pot family realize something was up? It sounds like the abuse was going on for a lengthy period of time.

[shootemindehead]

There's a film called 'The Girl Next Door', which is loosely based on this.

[Neil]

^ I don't think I can watch that. I hate torture related films... even more so if there's an eliment of truth to it :(

[shootemindehead]

It's not half as bad as the real case and only loosely based on it. There is another film that's closer to the Likens story, but I can't remember what it's called.

[Morto Vivente]

^ I don't think I can watch that. I hate torture related films... even more so if there's an eliment of truth to it :(

I sort of feel the same way. I even found it difficult to watch the cop scene in Reservoir Dogs, and I've never watched the film since, I actually find it repulsive, the stupid music etc. I'll admit I am curious about serial killers from the point of view of looking at their past and formation as individuals, but unless there is something out of the ordinary about their heinous actions and therefore sheds some light on the question of why, I'm not interested.

Maybe it comes down to intention and the presentation of the material? Any form of glamorization or trivialisation makes me sick. I find it easier to read dry non-dramatic stuff rather than watch something on film whether it's true or fictional. I hated the movie Deadgirl, but if some of the observations contained were presented differently I don't think it would bother me as much.

[Neil]

I hated the movie Deadgirl, but if some of the observations contained were presented differently I don't think it would bother me as much.
Oh! That's on my "to watch" list...

[Morto Vivente]

I'm interested to read what you think about it. I've read mixed points of view on here, some posters seem to like it while others described it as perverse. The more time passes since I saw it the more negatively I feel about it, weird.