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Teenage girl torturers shock nation
Schoolmate left for dead because she was 'too pretty'
The Europe pages - Observer special
Paul Webster in Paris
Sunday March 24, 2002
The Observer
An abandoned old people's home where a 14-year-old high school girl was
tortured by two of her schoolmates in a crime that has shocked France looks
like a setting for a horror film.
Dilapidated shutters hang from a peeling wall and the front door gives on to
stairs leading to a cellar where the victim was disfigured and left for dead
because she was considered too pretty.
After learning that the knife used to torture the adolescent resembled the
one used in the film Scream, newspapers have competed to find exotic
pseudonyms to add a Hollywood touch to a story tainted by scare videos and
devil worship.
The fate of 'Kelly', the cover name used by Le Figaro, and her torturers
'Priscilla', 14, and 'Morgane', 13, has been absorbed into a national debate
on youth crime which, in the past few days, has included the murder by an
adolescent gang of a father who protested against the mugging of his son and
an attack on a shopping mall watchman who was set on fire by another gang.
While 177,000 children committed offences last year, an increase of 30 per
cent over 10 years, the torture session at the village of Saint-Vit in
eastern France is unique for several reasons. The two alleged torturers, in
custody in Mulhouse for alleged attempted murder, are from stable,
middle-class families and study at a private Catholic school.
Neither had a reputation for violence, but a public prosecutor has pointed
out that the older girl had just seen Scream and the younger one had taken
part in Satanic practices with skinheads in the local cemetery.
'They have both been subjected to damaging cultural influences,' the
official, Jean-Fran�ois Peretti, said.
But why the alleged leader of the group, 'Priscilla', was ready to burn
'Kelly' to death as she lay bleeding on the cellar floor, perhaps only
psychiatrists will be able to answer. The most favoured theory is that she
was jealous of 'Kelly' because she was the prettiest girl in the class.
The three girls from 'modest and honourable families', in Peretti's words,
were close friends. On a Saturday night outing, they forced their way into
the deserted rest home and went to the attic where they drank beer and then
slapped each other repeatedly as part of a ritual until 'Kelly' complained
that 'Priscilla' was hitting her too hard.
'It was then that the older girl [on the alleged attempted murder charge]
pulled out a carving knife from her bag and struck her victim several times
in the body and face,' Peretti said. 'The victim was then dragged down
stairs to the cellar where her wrists and throat were cut with pieces of
glass.'
The two alleged torturers went in search of petrol to set the house alight,
but the local garage was closed. The younger girl asked her boyfriend to go
to help save her friend. He ran away after seeing 'Kelly' lying in a pool of
blood, but left the door open so that she could crawl out into the street.
In hospital, the girl, who may have lost the full use of her hands, told her
father: 'They tied me up, scalped me and wanted to set me alight.'
'My daughter is a very sweet girl and said she wanted to remain friends with
her schoolmates, but could not explain why their usual games had taken such
a horrifying turn,' the victim's father said. 'It seems to be a mixture of
all sorts of things. Television, films, drink, Satan-worship and madness.'
This and other cases of youth violence could influence next month's
presidential election and damage the hopes of Socialist Prime Minister
Lionel Jospin, now favourite to win.
'The state cannot be held responsible for this crime,' said Interior
Minister Daniel Vaillant defensively. 'We are totally bewildered by this
violent behaviour, which contains an element of insanity.'
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4264&rfi=6
Police have suspect in cat head hate crime
By: DANA BRUNDAGE March 21, 2002
CHARLESTOWN - Police say they have a suspect in last month's hate crime
involving the decapitated head of an animal.
Sgt. Patrick McMahon of the Charlestown Police Department said Monday that
they believe a man in his 20's, along with another man around the same age,
are responsible for leaving the head of a cat in an army boot on the front
of the Shannock Baptist Church on March 1.
A woman delivering a package to the church found the boot that morning and
contacted police.
Along with the boot was a letter written in a satanic language.
McMahon said that a witness told police that the suspect had been seen with
the cat at a previous time.
No one has claimed ownership thus far of the cat, McMahon said.
McMahon said that police only have the name of one suspect, who they have
made contact with.
The suspect, who was a resident of the Shannock village at the time of the
incident, has recently moved to Missouri, and therefore Charlestown Police
cannot make the arrest.
McMahon said that police have reviewed all options involving charg-ing the
suspect, but that he believes the case will remain an open investigation.
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http://www.eastbayri.com/news/2002/0314/Warren/028.html
03/14/2002
Warren church struck by vandals
By Karyn-Lynn Fisette
WARREN - St. Mark�s Episcopal Church was the most recent of three churches
in the state to be desecrated by vandals with a satanic agenda.
The front of the white Lyndon Street church was defaced with a message
proclaiming "Satan is Lord forever" in black spray paint sometime between
12:30 and 2:30 p.m. last Monday afternoon, March 4.
Candace Dixon, a neighbor who drove past the church at 12:30, said she did
not observe any vandalism at that time. Upon returning home she noticed the
graffiti and contacted the church treasurer, who reported the incident to
the Warren Police Department.
St. Mark�s Church on Lyndon Street was one of three churches in the state to
be vandalized last week with satanic graffiti.
Cynthia Lachapelle, senior warden of the church, covered the black graffiti
with some white paint, to match the color of the looming church just hours
later.
The parish pastor, the Rev. Aaron Usher, said he did not make it to the
church early enough to see the paint, but he was saddened by the report he
received from parishioners.
"It was sad because � all I can say is there�s some trouble there. Anyone
who would use that kind of language has some trouble," Father Usher said.
Father Usher and Warren police said they haven�t any leads as to who the
vandals may be; however, should the case come to fruition, Sgt. Roy Borges
said it will be dealt with as a hate crime, which holds stiffer penalties
than property damage.
"Nothing like this has ever happened here," parish administrator Diane
Donahue said. "St. Mark�s, which was built in 1830, just held its 173rd
annual meeting.
Earlier that same day, similar graffiti, also done in black spray paint, was
found on the doors and brick wall of St. Michael�s Episcopal Church on Hope
Street in Bristol.
On Friday, March 1, a church in Charlestown was vandalized, but to a greater
extent. There, a cat�s head, with its eyes sewn shut, was found inside a
combat boot which was left hanging near the entrance of the church. Police
do not believe there is a connection between the vandalism in the East Bay
and Charlestown.
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