Kristen Dawn French (May 10, 1976 – April 19, 1992) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

teen who was abducted and murdered by Karla Homolka and

Paul Bernardo Paul Kenneth Bernardo (born August 27, 1964), also known as The Scarborough Rapist and The Schoolgirl Killer, is a Canadian serial killer and serial rapist. He is known for initially committing a series of rapes in Scarborough, Ontario, a sub ...

. She was interred at Pleasantview Memorial Gardens,

Thorold Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Canal passes through the city, featuring lock 7 and the Twin Flight Locks. History The first s ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada.

Biography

French was born in 1976. She was a member of a precision ice-skating team which won several medals, and a member of the girls' rowing team at

Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School (sometimes abbreviated to HC, or HCSS) is a Catholic secondary school located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada offering education for about 1,100 students in grades 9-12. It is one of three Catholic high schools ...

in St. Catharines.

Abduction and murder

On April 16, 1992, as she was walking home from Holy Cross Secondary School, a Catholic school in St. Catharines, French was approached at the entrance of the Grace Lutheran Church parking lot by serial killers Karla Homolka and

under the pretense of needing directions. While French was assisting Homolka with directions, Bernardo attacked her from behind and forced her into the car at knifepoint. While French was seated in the front seat, Homolka held down her hair in order to keep the abductee in check. The kidnapping was seen by several eyewitnesses. When French went missing it drew immediate attention to her family and friends as she always followed the routine of a fifteen-minute walk from school to her home to feed and walk her dog in time. The

medical examiner The medical examiner is an appointed official in some American jurisdictions who is trained in pathology that investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictio ...

's report state she was held in captivity for three days, during which Bernardo and Homolka videotaped themselves torturing and subjecting the 15-year-old to sexual humiliation and degradation while forcing her to drink large amounts of alcohol. They murdered her on April 19, 1992. Her naked body was found in a ditch along No. 1 Sideroad in north

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

on April 30, 1992.

Aftermath

While French was missing, her classmates, teachers and friends at Holy Cross Secondary School chose the

Green Ribbon The green ribbon can have a variety of symbolic meanings. Mitochondrial disease Mitochondrial disease awareness is represented by a green ribbon. Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a debilitating genetic disorder that robs the body's cells of ...

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 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, and a monument to French'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 Leslie Mahaffy and French's killers, though they later found themselves embroiled in controversy over the role of media in police investigations. French is remembered for declining cooperation with her abductors in the latter period of her abduction: "Some things are worth dying for". She said to Bernardo: "I don't know how your wife can stand to be around you." Stephen Williams: ''Invisible Darkness'' On one of the memorials dedicated to her is engraved "Her legacy proves an inspiration."Curriculum Vitae and virtual grave
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:French, Kristen 1990s missing person cases 1992 in Ontario 1992 murders in Canada April 1992 events in Canada Child abduction in Canada Deaths by person in Canada Formerly missing people Incidents of violence against girls Kidnapped Canadian children Missing person cases in Canada People murdered in Ontario Violence against women in Canada

Biography

Abduction and murder

Aftermath

See also

References

External links