Kristen French
Encyclopedia
Kristen Dawn French was a Canadian
Catholic school
girl and the victim of a gruesome and much-publicized murder.
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.
, 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
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.
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." She said to Bernardo: "I don't know how your wife can stand to be around you." On one of the memorials dedicated to her is engraved "Her legacy proves an inspiration."
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.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
girl and the victim of a gruesome and much-publicized murder.
Biography
Growing up, Kristen was a member of the precision ice skatingIce skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
team which won several medals and while attending Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School
Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School
Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic secondary school located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada offering education for about 1,250 students in grades 9-12. It is one of three Catholic high schools in the city. The principal is Paul Walsh.-History:The school was established in September...
and a key member of the girls rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
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 SchoolHoly Cross Secondary School (St. Catharines)
Holy Cross is a Catholic Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario. The school is administered by the Niagara Catholic District School Board.-History:Holy Cross was founded in 1985. Originally known as P.K...
, a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
school in St. Catharines
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
for the Easter break weekend, she was approached at the entrance the Grace Lutheran church parking lot by serial killers Karla Homolka
Karla Homolka
Karla Leanne Homolka, also known as Karla Leanne Teale , is a Canadian serial killer. She attracted worldwide media attention when she was convicted of manslaughter following a plea bargain in the 1991 and 1992 rape-murders of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as...
and Paul Bernardo
Paul Bernardo
Paul Kenneth Bernardo, also known as Paul Jason Teale , is a Canadian serial killer and rapist, known for the sexual assaults and murders he committed with his wife Karla Homolka and the serial rapes he committed in Scarborough.-Early life:Bernardo's mother, Marilyn, was the adopted daughter of a...
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
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
was seen by several eyewitnesses
During her three days of captivity the depraved couple videotaped themselves torturing and subjecting the 15 year old to sexual humiliation and degradation
Degradation
Degradation may refer to;* Biodegradation, the processes by which organic substances are broken down by living organisms* Cashiering or degradation ceremony, a ritual performed when cleric is deprived of office or a knight is stripped of the honour...
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
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
on April 30, 1992, approximately one mile from the gravesite of Leslie Mahaffy
Leslie Mahaffy
Leslie Erin Mahaffy was a teenaged female student, resident of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, who was murdered by serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Mahaffy's kidnapping was one in a series of disappearances of Ontario schoolgirls in the early 1990s, including Kristen French, also a...
, another of Bernardo and Homolka's murder victims.
Aftermath
While French was missing, her fellow students, teachers and friends at Holy Cross Secondary School chose the Green RibbonGreen ribbon
The green ribbon has been used as a symbol for many campaigns, including environmental justice, mental health awareness, cannabis-liberation, agriculture and to show support for legalized forms of pornography and sexual content....
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
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
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." She said to Bernardo: "I don't know how your wife can stand to be around you." On one of the memorials dedicated to her is engraved "Her legacy proves an inspiration."
The deadly couple were also convicted of the fatal drug rape of Karla Homolka's sister, Tammy Homolka
Tammy Homolka
Tammy Lyn Homolka was the younger sister and victim of Canadian murderer Karla Homolka and her partner, Paul Bernardo.Tammy grew up in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario...
, 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
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, and a videotape which Bernardo made of her captivity and torture later proved to be key evidence in his trial.