The Milwaukee Post

By SARAH PRYOR Conley News Service WAUKESHA – Parents around the city of Waukesha and even the country have found themselves having some tough con- versations with their kids in the wake of Saturday's stabbing. Two 12-year-old girls are charged with attempted first-degree homicide for allegedly stabbing their friend 19 times to prove their allegiance to a fictional Internet character called Slender Man. The 12-year-old victim survived and is in fair condition, but she suffered stab wounds to her stomach, pancreas, liver, arms and legs. "I spoke to my 12-year-old about the incident. It was a good time for us to revisit why we monitor computer usage as much as we do and why we have filters and blocks on our systems," said The Waukesha Freeman's Facebook friend Amy Gogue-Frank. "It's heartbreaking that this is something we need to talk to our children about. Times have certainly changed." On Monday, Waukesha Police Chief Russell Jack said the incident should be a "wake-up call" for parents to monitor their children's online activity, and Sheriff Dan Trawicki said Tuesday that it's all about parental involvement. "We could make some more laws, and you can do some things, but it is not the law – it is parental control," Trawicki said. "It is parents knowing what their kids are doing. It is parents putting blocks on certain websites, which you can do. It is having the computer in a place where the parents know what (their kids) are looking at. It is knowing what is going on. We do not need any more laws." The Freeman's Facebook friend Sarah Lind said the incident goes further than Internet usage and monitoring. "There are values and morals that must be instilled by parents early on. Yes, parents need to monitor their child's com- puter use and activities, but the job of a parent is deeper and starts very early in in a child's life," Lind said. "By the time they are 12, they should already know murder is wrong and the repercussions." Court Commissioner Thomas Pieper set cash bail at $500,000 each for suspects Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier on Monday. The girls are being held in a Washington County facility as they await their next hearing on June 11. If convict- ed, they both face up to 60 years in prison. They are being charged as adults in accordance with state law, which requires anyone older than 10 to be charged in criminal court, not juvenile court, for a charge of attempted first-degree inten- tional homicide, said Deputy District Attorney Sue Opper. It's possible that the case could be sent to juvenile court, however. Opper said that following the prelimi- nary hearing and a finding of probable cause, the law requires the court to decide whether to retain jurisdiction or transfer it to juvenile court. A separate hearing would be held on that at a later date after the preliminary hearing, she said. The girls attend Hor ning Middle School, and an email was sent to all par- ents within the Waukesha School District to infor m them of the incident, said Superintendent Todd Gray. "A very tragic occurrence took place on Saturday involving middle school stu- dents that attend Waukesha Schools," the email said. "As our thoughts and support go out to the victim and her family, we have also provided counselors at all schools where this may have caused dis- tress among students." Gray said Waukesha students got their Waukesha One school-issued iPads back on Tuesday after they were taken away briefly on Monday, but it's unclear whether the girls accessed the sites on their school devices. "They were taken away briefly so the students that did have them could not send out rumors or other misinformation via social media about this incident before we had all the facts from the Police Department and parents could be informed," Gray said in an email to The Freeman. The Freeman's Facebook friend Mike DeQuardo said he's against all students having school-issued iPads. "I've said it before and scream it now. Giving iPads to all students is a disaster," DeQuardo said. "There is little to no secu- rity on them from the school district." The district tries to stay ahead of these types of situations and is always looking at different ways to keep the Internet a safe environment for students, Gray said. He also said some students find ways around the restrictions and are able to access the blocked websites, but the dis- trict is aware of this and is working through solutions to solve the problem. Also contributing: Alison Fox and Matt Masterson, Freeman Staff Contact Sarah Pryor spryor@conleynet.com 16 • Milwaukee County Post • June 6, 2014 Stabbing spurs conversations among parents, kids Waukesha County sheriff: Parental control is paramount Photos by Charles Auer/Conley News Service From left, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier appear in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Monday. The two are being charged as adults with first-degree attempted homicide. Both were being held on $500,000 bail. 238736025 327-4544 3155 S. 76th St. Milw M-W&F: 8-6, Th: 8-8, Sat: 8-3 ~ Roller Set Stylist Wanted ~ 238736010 Expires 6/28/14 $ 10 OFF Any Perm Summer Special Teddy's Hair New Customers Only WILLS, TRUSTS, POWERS OF ATTORNEY, PROBATE Pre and post death planning by a professional with over 35 years of experience. Law Offices of Attorney James J. Winiarski 3625 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee (414) 383-3902 236401185

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