WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A 12-year-old Wisconsin girl who police say was repeatedly stabbed by two classmates trying to curry favor with a fictional horror character has been released from the hospital, the victim’s parents said Friday night.
The girl narrowly survived being stabbed 19 times. A spokeswoman for the girl’s family issued a statement Friday saying the girl was released from Waukesha Memorial Hospital.
“She is excited to be out of the hospital, see her pets and continue along the road to recovery. Our family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support and love from not only the local community, but from around the nation, and the world,” the statement said.
Two 12-year-old girls have been charged as adults with first-degree attempted homicide in the stabbing. Police say the girls told detectives they wanted to kill their classmate in hopes of pleasing Slender Man, a spooky character they read about on a horror website.
Police say that after stabbing the victim, the attackers left her lying in the woods. The victim crawled to a road where a bicyclist found her lying on the sidewalk.
In their statement, the victim’s parents said they have kept their discussions with their daughter about the May 31 stabbing short. But they said they have asked her girl how she found the strength to crawl out of the woods.
“Her response was simple: ‘I wanted to live,’” the statement said.
Doctors previously told police the victim was lucky to be alive because the knife just missed a major artery.
Police have not identified the victim, and her parents have asked friends to keep her name secret.
Anthony Cotton, an attorney for one of the girls charged in the stabbing, has said he will push to get the girl’s case transferred to juvenile court, where more social services and mental health treatment would be available for her.
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