Girl accused of stabbing classmate feared Slender Man, doctor says

An attorney for one of two young Wisconsin girls accused of repeatedly stabbing their classmate to please a fictional horror character is trying to convince a judge the child acted in self-defense.

Psychologist Deborah Collins testified during the second day of a preliminary hearing that the defendant has an unyielding belief in Slender Man. Collins testified the girl feared the creature would hurt her and her family if she didn’t kill her friend. A private investigator hired by the defense testified he discovered more than 60 drawings of Slender Man in the girl’s bedroom.

The two girls, ages 12 and 13, are charged in adult court with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. The victim survived the attack.

Judge Michael Bohren said he’ll decide next month whether to order a trial.

This story was originally published February 17, 2015 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Girl accused of stabbing classmate feared Slender Man, doctor says."