Creepypasta, a website that specializes in horror stories centered around fictional characters and urban legends, has released a statement following a Slenderman-related stabbing in Wisconsin.
Created by Eric Knudsen, Slenderman originally appeared as a meme on the Something Awful forums back in 2009. The character has become something of a phenomenon since those days, inspiring everything from short films to artwork to video games. Creepypasta has an entire section devoted to the guy, which documents his appearance in Egyptian hieroglyphics and Brazilian cave paintings. Given the amount of info available on Creepypasta, it’s really no surprise that some people believe he actually exists.
According to the New York Daily News , two 12-year-old girls from Waukesha, Wisconsin were recently accused of stabbing another preteen girl 19 times . The reason for this heinous crime: they were trying to appease “The Slender Man”; both girls are being charged as adults and could face up to 60 years in prison for attempted murder.
The case has thrust Creepypasta in the spotlight, prompting one of the website’s administrator to issue a statement about the Slenderman-related murder. Although Creepypasta features a lot of stories centered around the creepy character, the admin doesn’t believe any of these tales were directly responsible for inspiring the recent stabbing.
Creepypasta said in a recent statement:
“First and most importantly, my condolences go out to all the families involved. I cannot even imagine how painful and confusing and awful this has to be for them. I don’t have children, but I can imagine how my mother would feel if something like this happened to me, and it absolutely breaks my heart to even consider her having to go through that. The families of the young ladies who committed this crime also have my heart going out to them – I know this can’t be easy for them as well, and I’m sure they’ll have to deal with mistargeted backlash and anger even while they try to get through such a trying time themselves. So when I say that I extend my deepest sympathies and my prayers to those affected, I hope that you understand that I mean it. I know that words can seem hollow or come off as mere lip-service to the cynical, but it’s the truth.”
The Associated Press reports that Creepypasta doesn’t “endorse or advocate for the killing, worship, and otherwise replication of rituals of fictional works.” The site administrator added that horror writing in general didn’t play a part in the recent stabbing. The post urged people with mental health issues to get treatment as soon as possible.
Do you believe that sites like Creepypasta are largely responsible for allegedly inspiring these two 12-year-old girls to attempt murder in the name of Slenderman?
[Image via Wallpapo]