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| Kristen Dawn French | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 10, 1976 St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | April 19, 1992 (aged 15) St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Student |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Parents | Doug and Donna French |
Kristen Dawn French (May 10, 1976 – April 19, 1992) was a Canadian Catholic school girl and the victim of a gruesome and much-publicized murder.
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Contents
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Biography
Growing up, Kristen was a member of the precision ice skating team which won several medals and while attending Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School and a key member of the girls rowing team. Kristen was a vibrant young woman who was full of life, had a welcoming smile and willingness to help those appearing to have problems.
Abduction and Murder
Just one month before her 16th birthday as she walked home from Holy Cross Secondary School, a Catholic school in St. Catharines, Ontario for the Easter break weekend, she was approached at the entrance the Grace Lutheran church parking lot by serial killers Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo under the pretense of needing directions. While Kristen assisted Homolka with map directions, Bernardo attacked her from behind and forced her into the car at knife point. It was Thursday, April 16, 1992 and her kidnapping was seen by several eyewitnesses[1] During her three days of captivity the depraved couple videotaped themselves torturing and subjecting the 15 year old to sexual humiliation and degradation while forcing her to drink large amounts of alcohol before murdering her on April 19, 1992. Her naked body was found in a ditch several kilometres away on Sideroad 1 in north Burlington on April 30, 1992, approximately one mile from the gravesite of Leslie Mahaffy, another of Bernardo and Homolka's murder victims. [2]
Aftermath
While French was missing, her fellow students, teachers and friends at Holy Cross Secondary School chose the Green Ribbon of Hope as the symbol for their search. French's school community also gave the name to the Green Ribbon of Hope Campaign, a national campaign continued to this day by Child Find Canada, governments, organizations and individuals to raise funds and awareness for missing children.
The Green Ribbon Trail in St. Catharines was named in her honour. A monument to Kristen's memory stands at the beginning of the trail. The ribbon also gave its name to the Green Ribbon Task Force, the police group tasked with finding French and Mahaffy's killers, though they later found themselves embroiled in controversy over the role of media in police investigations.
Kristen French is remembered for declining cooperation with her abductors in the later period of her abduction: "Some things are worth dying for."[3] She said to Bernardo: "I don't know how your wife can stand to be around you."[4] On one of the memorials dedicated to her is engraved "Her legacy proves an inspiration."[5]
The deadly couple were also convicted of the fatal drug rape of Karla Homolka's sister, Tammy Homolka, which received wide coverage in Canadian newsmedia. Her murder and the subsequent criminal trials remain one of the best-known criminal cases in Canadian history. There was physical evidence of torture and rape, and a videotape which Bernardo made of her captivity and torture later proved to be key evidence in his trial.
References
- ^ Stephen Williams: Invisible Darkness
- ^ "Record of horror". People Weekly, 1995. Vol. 44, Iss. 12 (Time Incorporated, New York): pp. 235 – 239. 1995-09-18. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=6971063&Fmt=3&clientId=64067&RQT=309&VName=PQD. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
- ^ Bernardo Trial Gets Underway
- ^ Stephen Williams: Invisible Darkness
- ^ Curriculum Vitae and virtual grave
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