Taken from the UK newspaper the Sun...
Schoolboy Stefan Pakeerah was battered to death by a friend playing out scenes from an X-rated video game, the victim’s parents said yesterday.
The 14-year-old was beaten with a claw hammer and stabbed repeatedly by his pal Warren LeBlanc, 17, who was “obsessed” with console game Manhunt.
Stefan’s civil servant dad Patrick, 41, said LeBlanc’s playing of it on his PlayStation 2 led directly to his son’s death. He said: “You increase your score depending on how violent the killing is. “That explains why Stefan’s murder was as horrific as it was.”
The game has an 18 certificate and the literature boasts: “Manhunt explores the depths of human depravity in a vicious, sadistic tale of urban horror. You must run, hide and fight to survive.”
It emerged last night that it was banned by censors in New Zealand six months ago.
And US lawyer Jack Thompson said he had written to Manhunt’s makers warning there would be copycat attacks.
He said: “We’ve had dozens of killings in the US by children who had played these types of games. They are basically murder simulators.”
Manhunt is made by software firm Rockstar, whose previous Grand Theft Auto games have been slammed for their violence and lawlessness.
Leicester Crown Court heard how LeBlanc lured Stefan to his death after telling him they were to meet two girls in a park. Stefan’s mum Giselle, 36, a senior researcher, described how she had spoken to LeBlanc before her son’s death. She said: “I have had friendly conversations with him and that’s what makes it so difficult, that degree of deception and evil. “It just goes to show that he is inherently evil. “Stefan would not have detected any antipathy between them or he would not have gone to the park with him.” LeBlanc, of Leicester, admitted murder. He will be sentenced later and faces a life term.
---END---
They were comparing it to the Columbine disaster on the news and how the game Doom was blamed for this...but I thought that they copied from the Matrix film...?
I just hope that this does not change anything in GTA-San Andreas...
Schoolboy Stefan Pakeerah was battered to death by a friend playing out scenes from an X-rated video game, the victim’s parents said yesterday.
The 14-year-old was beaten with a claw hammer and stabbed repeatedly by his pal Warren LeBlanc, 17, who was “obsessed” with console game Manhunt.
Stefan’s civil servant dad Patrick, 41, said LeBlanc’s playing of it on his PlayStation 2 led directly to his son’s death. He said: “You increase your score depending on how violent the killing is. “That explains why Stefan’s murder was as horrific as it was.”
The game has an 18 certificate and the literature boasts: “Manhunt explores the depths of human depravity in a vicious, sadistic tale of urban horror. You must run, hide and fight to survive.”
It emerged last night that it was banned by censors in New Zealand six months ago.
And US lawyer Jack Thompson said he had written to Manhunt’s makers warning there would be copycat attacks.
He said: “We’ve had dozens of killings in the US by children who had played these types of games. They are basically murder simulators.”
Manhunt is made by software firm Rockstar, whose previous Grand Theft Auto games have been slammed for their violence and lawlessness.
Leicester Crown Court heard how LeBlanc lured Stefan to his death after telling him they were to meet two girls in a park. Stefan’s mum Giselle, 36, a senior researcher, described how she had spoken to LeBlanc before her son’s death. She said: “I have had friendly conversations with him and that’s what makes it so difficult, that degree of deception and evil. “It just goes to show that he is inherently evil. “Stefan would not have detected any antipathy between them or he would not have gone to the park with him.” LeBlanc, of Leicester, admitted murder. He will be sentenced later and faces a life term.
---END---
They were comparing it to the Columbine disaster on the news and how the game Doom was blamed for this...but I thought that they copied from the Matrix film...?
I just hope that this does not change anything in GTA-San Andreas...