WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) – An attorney for one of two girls accused of trying to kill a classmate to please the fictional character Slender Man said Tuesday that her mental state has not improved and he will challenge a state doctor’s determination that she is fit to stand trial.
Wisconsin Judge Michael Bohren ordered the girl to receive mental health treatment in August after a state psychologist testified the child claimed to see and hear things that others could not, including Slender Man, unicorns and characters from the Harry Potter and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. A different doctor filed the latest report on her condition, which was sealed by the court.
Defense attorney Anthony Cotton said the girl still believes fictional characters are real, and he would have a doctor he hired testify about that during a Dec. 18 hearing.
“We don’t think anything has changed in terms of her functioning,” Cotton said.
The case cannot proceed unless Bohren is confident the girl can understand and help with her defense.