Sylvia likens memorial

She was born between two sets of fraternal twins: Diana and Danny two years olderand Jenny and Benny one year younger, sylvia likens memorial, the former disabled by polio.

Sylvia Marie Likens January 3, — October 26, was an American teenager who was tortured and murdered by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, many of Baniszewski's children, and several of their neighborhood friends. The abuse lasted for three months, occurring incrementally, before Likens died from her extensive injuries and malnourishment on October 26, , in Indianapolis , Indiana. Likens was increasingly tormented , neglected , belittled, sexually humiliated , beaten, starved , lacerated, burned, and dehydrated by her tormentors. Her autopsy showed wounds across her body, including several burns, scald marks and eroded skin. Through intimidation, her younger sister, Jenny, was occasionally forced to participate in her mistreatment.

Sylvia likens memorial

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Jenny burst into tears as she recalled how, just days before Likens died, she had said to her: "Jenny, I know you don't want me to die, but I am going to die.

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Reader discretion is advised. In October , year-old Sylvia Likens died after being held captive for nearly three months. Her death sparked action across police departments, prosecution, and the halls of the Indiana General Assembly, plus movies and books. As a teenager, Sylvia babysat, hung out with friends, did chores and small jobs, loved the Beatles, and lived an otherwise typical life. They continued to live as teenagers do, singing, skating, earning modest incomes during the summer break, and doing housework. Angry, Baniszewski began beating the children in the home across their buttocks. By August, the beatings exceeded a dozen a week, often for benign issues like eating too much food. Soon, Baniszewski was focusing on Sylvia. Later testimony would reveal Sylvia was beaten and abused regularly after school and on weekends.

Sylvia likens memorial

Sylvia Likens. John Jr Baniszewski and Gertrude Baniszewski. Via Wikimedia Commons. The autopsy of the sixteen-year-old girl from Indiana read like that of a horror movie. Her skin had receded, and she had open wounds nearly down to the bone. Sylvia and her sister Jenny were sent to live with Gertrude Baniszewski in July Their parents, Lester and Betty, were in desperate need of money and had joined the travelling carnival, which was no place for children. After all, she already had seven of her own children; what difference would two more make? Fifteen-year-old Jenny had polio and wore a leg brace, so Sylvia offered to help around the Baniszewski house, making sure the chores were done for both of them.

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When Baniszewski was unable to finish the branding, she had Richard Hobbs finish. Jenny later speculated, during her court testimony, that Likens was unable to produce tears due to dehydration. Shortly thereafter, Gertrude shouted for Likens to return to the kitchen, then ordered her to strip naked before proclaiming to her: "You have branded my daughters; now I am going to brand you. Retrieved October 24, The official cause of death was brain swelling, internal hemorrhaging of the brain, and shock from severe and prolonged damage to her skin. She accused her of stealing candy that she had bought, and humiliated her when she admitted that she once had a boyfriend. Retrieved December 15, Sidestepping the multiple instances of testimony delivered at trial describing Paula and her mother as by far the most enthusiastic participants in Likens's physical abuse, Rice claimed the evidence presented against his client did not equate to her actual guilt of murder. Retrieved September 13, Gertrude forced the crackers into her mouth before repeatedly striking her face with a curtain rod until sections of the instrument were bent into right angles. I never really knew her Coy Hubbard and several of his classmates frequently visited the Baniszewski residence to both physically and verbally torment Likens, often collaborating with Baniszewski's children and Gertrude herself. Retrieved January 24, Jenny burst into tears as she recalled how, just days before Likens died, she had said to her: "Jenny, I know you don't want me to die, but I am going to die. Nedder; John Baniszewski Jr.

They were unable to take their children with them, so they left their two boys in the care of their grandparents. And Gertrude was to take in Sylvia, 16, and her younger sister, Jenny, who was diagnosed with polio and walked with a limp.

Although Hobbs testified this act of branding had brought blood to the surface of Likens's flesh and that Likens had begged him to stop, he remained adamant the section of branding he had inflicted had been light. Baniszewski told her that the girls were not allowed to see her, and ordered Diana off her property. She accused her of stealing candy that she had bought, and humiliated her when she admitted that she once had a boyfriend. When police arrived, Gertrude Baniszewski handed them the letter she had forced Likens to write a few days previously. What I think this was ultimately about was jealousy. In response to questioning relating to whether she had physically abused the Likens sisters, Gertrude claimed that although she had "started to spank" Likens on one occasion, she was emotionally unable to finish doing so, and had not hit the child on any further occasions. Retrieved December 22, Retrieved March 31, Two days later, Richard Hobbs testified in his own defense, describing how Gertrude had called Likens to the kitchen on October 23 and stated to her: "You have branded my children so now I'm going to brand you. Edit source View history Talk 0. Coy Hubbard then took the curtain rod from Gertrude and struck Likens one further time, rendering her unconscious. Meanwhile, Raymond and Phyllis Vermillion, a middle-aged couple who moved next door, saw Gertrude to be an ideal caretaker for their two children. On this occasion, neither girl exhibited any visible sign of distress about their mistreatment to their parents. Lacking any remorse, Paula signed a statement admitting to having repeatedly beaten Likens about the backside with her mother's police belt, once breaking her wrist on Likens's jaw, and inflicting other acts of brutality, including pushing her down the stairs into the basement "two or three times," and inflicting a black eye.