This kind of thing used to happen via personal ads, but I don’t recall seeing an effort to ban newspapers.
I think it’s a little weird that everyone who knows her is saying how sweet and smart she was, when it’s undeniable that she was using provocative names on the internet and having sex with grown men. Personally, I’d say, “She seemed very sweet and smart; gosh, I’m surprised that she was also having sex with strangers. Wouldn’t have thunk it. Just goes to show, you never really know people.”
Their saying how nice and smart she was doesn’t cancel out the cold, hard fact of what she did.
Of what she did?? And what was that? Trust somebody? What difference does it make if she was trying to act provocatively and “grown up”? She was still sweet and innocent, and I hope that bastard gets his when he goes to jail.
bluethree, you got that right. As a parent, I’ve got to walk a fine line between supervision and invasion of privacy, and my own pre-teens are being forewarned it will err on the side of invasion.
I find it strange that (according to the NY Times) she could have several sexual encounters with people met over the internet. Where’s the supervision - she’s only 13. Her aunt (the legal guardian) should have known where she was, what she was doing, and whom she was doing it with (not meant to be punny) at all times.
Lastly, in addition to locking the waste of oxygen who did this up permanently, I hope they track down every other partner and remove them from circulation. Even if she misrepresented herself online, just one look and you know this girl is illegal. Sick and twisted is too soft a description for adults who chase children like her.
I can’t agree with you. She wasn’t raped, she met men on the internet and then went out and had sex with them. If I did that I would be a slut. If you believe someone can be a sweet, innocent slut, more power to you. You will have lots and lots of people to date.
Okay, something needs to be clarified. The article that asahi links to does not include the information that the girl had several sexual liaisons before, with other men she met over the internet. I read that in a different article from some other news agency. That is probably what has caused the confusion.
Yes it is sad that she is dead, but I personally don’t know her. Just nitpicking here, but some of you people are damned hypocritical when it comes to the idea of free speech and the actual practice of it. The only people I will apologize to are her family, which I doubt any are on this board. The rest of you who took offense to it I say get a freaking life. It’s not like I killed her, I guess I will have to watch what I say so that no one else in the world ever gets killed. Since my words are so damaging and all. No. Its not understood.
bluethree:
a) ?? Why wouldn’t one be able to be a sweet innocent slut? What’s wrong with sluts?
b) More to the point, are you asserting that statutory rape provisions should all be dismantled? This girl was 13. Do you believe that 13 is old enough to consent to sex with an adult?
c) Quite aside from rape of the statutory variety–the linked article said that the police did not comment on whether or not she had been sexually assaulted. Do you have some basis for assuming that she wasn’t?
This thread is a real train-wreck.
Bluethree - your post confused me, but I’m glad you clarified it. At the same time, she was how old?? 13!!! She barely knows what is acceptable. She just hit her teenage years, and I know some 20 year olds that don’t even have it together, so I don’t think a 13 year old could make a sound judgement like that. Yes, what she did wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but at the same time, yes, she was raped, even if it wasn’t forceful. Statuatory rape is still rape, and there are laws against it for a reason.
rsa:
Well, that indicates that consensual sex had occurred in the past with the guy, but what does that have to do with whether or not she was raped as well as killed during her final encounter with him?
Meh.
Free speech and all…but it doesn’t mean that just because you can say it, that you have to say it.
It’s just a matter of class. Hope you can understand that.
Sinyster1: I have answered your question here.
Complaints about moderator decisions belong in The BBQ Pit forum.
If you (or anyone else) want to discuss what the limitations of free speech should be on a message board, I would suggest another thread in this forum, or a thread in the Great Debates forum.
It is sad. But whenever a victim dies, it’s always said how wonderful they were, you know…don’t speak ill of the dead. And victims are also portrayed as so innocent. In some mystery novel I read once, someone comments on that…you never hear about normal, flawed people getting axed. Still, it is awfully depressing.
Thats right.
NOTICE: To all the women of the USA. Stay away from computers. Stay in the kitchen. Fix me a sandwich.
Really I hate the way they turn everything into a anti-internet story. I’m sure some 13 year old girl will be killed after meeting a guy at the roller skating rink. Will we have to hear about the evils of skating. Plus, these types of stories are always setup to include an anti-sex message. America, the country founded by people to uptight for Europe.
Whether she slept willingly with men or not, whether she was too young to consent or not, whether she was a “slut” or not - and whether that even matters or not - all is irrelevant besides the one tragic indisputable fact of the matter that she was horrifically murdered.
It doesn’t make it any the less wrong, tragic or horrific if a murder victim is the Virgin Mary or Jezebel. Murder is wrong, it is an abomination.
I was just presenting some additional info since the original link didn’t mention the girl’s previous sexual encounters and it seemed relevent to the question that you asked bluethree.
It is quite possible that she was raped during their final encounter. Any any case, I’m sure that she didn’t consent to her murder.
When I first got online several years ago, I met a man in person (the one and only time I’ve done that). Long story short, I’d mentioned that I’d never seen a sunset, so we met out at the lake. Looking back, I’m absolutely horrified at the risk I took - strange man, isolated spot at the lake, nobody knew where I was…
And I was 25 and should have known better! This girl was 13 - how many of us at 13 really sat and thought about the dangers of meeting strange people? Who really thought at 13 “Well, I should be careful - I could get raped and killed”? No, I’d imagine she thought “How exciting, an older (read: mature/hip/cool) guy who says such nice things and wants to meet me!”.
I don’t want to blame the parents/aunt any more than the victim -the blame falls squarely on the murderer - but I wonder how many parents are truly aware of the dangers of the Internet (I hear a lot about the dangers of kids looking at porn, but not too much about the dangers of kids getting murdered by trusting in someone they meet online)? It’s still a fairly new technology, and I’d venture that lots of adults aren’t quite as Internet-savvy as their kids are. I don’t have kids, so I have no idea if the average parent feels it necessary to monitor Internet use, just like they monitor television and phone, who their child’s going out with, where they’re going, etc. etc. They may be completely unaware of the potential risks (just my guess).
That poor girl.
This past December, a very good friend of mine who is 35 years old invited a man to her home for a week after having an Internet relationship with him for two months.
The minute he arrived, she knew she had made a mistake. She tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but within an hour she TOTALLY freaked out wanted that stranger out of her home. She made him drive the ten hours back to his city before he’d even been at her place for three hours.
I thank God everyday that he was genuinely a nice guy and did her NO harm. He did try to convince her to sleep with him anyway, even if they weren’t going to have a relationship, but much to his credit he stopped when she said no.
And she is 35. A 13-year old???
For the record, the believe the Internet is no more dangerous than other places to meet people. Precautions must be taken at all times under all circumstances.