Gertrude Baniszewski: Difference between revisions

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{{Villain_Infobox

|~~Image~~ = Gertrude-baniszewski002.jpg

|image = Gertrude-baniszewski002.jpg

|fullname = Gertrude Nadine Baniszewski

|alias = Nadine Van Fossan The Torture Mother

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|origin = Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

|type of villain = Sadistic Torturer

|crimes = [[Murder]] [[Torture]] [[Child Abuse|Child abuse]] Mutilation Psychological abuse Sexual abuse

|crimes = [[Murder]] [[Torture]] [[Child Abuse|Child abuse]] Mutilation Psychological abuse Sexual abuse [[Misandry]] [[Misogyny]]

|goals = Kill Sylvia Likens (succeeded)

|hobby = Torturing Sylvia}}

{{Quote|Also known as the Torture Mother, Gertrude Baniszewski was an Indiana divorcee who oversaw and facilitated a prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of a teenage girl, Sylvia Likens. It was later discovered that the death and majority of the torture was actually carried out under Baniszewski’s instruction by her teenage children and other kids from the neighborhood. When the woman was convicted of first degree murder in 1965, the case was called, “the single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana’s history."|Description of Gertrude Baniszewski on List 25's ''25 Most Evil Women in History'', on which she was the 25th entrant.}}

'''Gertrude Baniszewski''' (September 19th, ~~1929~~ - June 16th, 1990) was an American woman who tortured and murdered a 16 year old girl named Sylvia Likens in her own home in the state of Indiana. She encouraged her children and their friends to join in the torture-murder. The crime was considered to be the worst in the state's history.

'''Gertrude Baniszewski''' (September 19th, 1928 - June 16th, 1990) was an American woman who tortured and murdered a 16 year old girl named Sylvia Likens in her own home in the state of Indiana. She encouraged her children and their friends to join in the torture-murder. The crime was considered to be the worst in the state's history.

==Early Life==

Baniszewski was born on September 19th, ~~1929~~ to Mollie Myrtle and Hugh Marcus Van Fossan, Sr. She dropped out from high school six years after her father died, and she then married an 18-year-old deputy by the name of John Stephen Baniszewski and had five children with him. They divorced ten years later.

Baniszewski was born on September 19th, 1928 to Mollie Myrtle and Hugh Marcus Van Fossan, Sr. She dropped out from high school six years after her father died in front of her, and she then married an 18-year-old deputy by the name of John Stephen Baniszewski and had five children with him. They divorced ten years later.

She later moved in with her 18-year-old boyfriend and had one child with him. He later left her after the child was born.

She later moved in with her 18-year-old boyfriend and had one child with him. He later left her after the child was born. Both of her boyfriends were abusive and were theorized to be the reasons why she was so vicious towards Sylvia Likens, in addition to her deteriorating health and appearance.

==Sylvia Likens==

35 years later in July 1965, Sylvia's parents asked for Gertrude to take her and her sister in as boarders while they continued to work as carnival employees. As payment for her cooperation, they would pay her $20 regularly. ~~However, they~~ had ~~fallen short on~~ a payment ~~and~~ Gertrude ~~proceeded to~~ beat the two girls as a result. Thus began a long history of [[Child Abuse|child abuse]].

35 years later in July 1965, Sylvia's parents asked for Gertrude to take her and her sister in as boarders while they continued to work as carnival employees. As payment for her cooperation, they would pay her $20 regularly. The reason why Sylvia's parents did this was because Sylvia and her sister Jenny had befriended Gertrude's children a few weeks prior. During the first weeks of their day, the Likens sisters were relatively well-treated by Gertrude. One day, Sylvia's parents failed to send the payment in time, prompting Gertrude beat the two girls as a result. Thus began a long history of [[Child Abuse|child abuse]].

===Torture===

[[File:1536774877633.jpeg|thumb|left|188px|Sylvia Likens.|link=Special:FilePath/1536774877633.jpeg]]Baniszewski began to ~~physically~~ abuse Sylvia ~~in 1965~~. She appointed her own children into bullying her and they would do horrible things to her like pushing her down the stairs, burning cigarettes onto her skin multiple times and forcing her to consume her excrement and vomit. Her daughter Paula, one of the torturers, once tried to repent of her hatred towards Sylvia to a pastor but Gertude prevented her from doing so by stating that Sylvia was the one being hateful. Gertrude also accused Sylvia of being a prostitute, and "preached" to her about how it was wrong to sell your body for money, and that women were filthy in general. Hypocritically, Gertrude decided to please her fellow torturers, most of them male neighborhood children, by forcing Sylvia to participate in a strip tease, where she was stripped naked and had her vagina forcibly violated by an empty glass Coca Cola bottle. The most infamous and horrific act throughout the months of torture was when Baniszewski, with the help of her child torturers, carved the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" onto her stomach with a heated needle. The letter "S" (ended up looking like a "3") was also burnt above the words with a hot iron poker.

[[File:1536774877633.jpeg|thumb|left|188px|Sylvia Likens.|link=Special:FilePath/1536774877633.jpeg]]Baniszewski began to exclusively abuse Sylvia, whilst threatening her sister with the same treatment if she reported the abuse. She appointed her own children into bullying her and they would do horrible things to her like pushing her down the stairs, burning cigarettes onto her skin multiple times, kicking her vagina until it was swollen shut and forcing her to consume her excrement and vomit. Her daughter Paula, one of the torturers, once tried to repent of her hatred towards Sylvia to a pastor but Gertude prevented her from doing so by stating that Sylvia was the one being hateful. Gertrude also accused Sylvia of being a prostitute, and "preached" to her about how it was wrong to sell your body for money, and that women were filthy in general. Hypocritically, Gertrude decided to please her fellow torturers, most of them male neighborhood children, by forcing Sylvia to participate in a strip tease, where she was stripped naked and had her vagina forcibly violated by an empty glass Coca Cola bottle. The most infamous and horrific act throughout the months of torture was when Baniszewski, with the help of her child torturers, carved the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" onto her stomach with a heated needle. The letter "S" (ended up looking like a "3") was also burnt above the words with a hot iron poker.

On October 25, Sylvia attempted to escape from the basement after overhearing conversation pertaining to Gertrude Baniszewski's plan to simply abandon her to die. She attempted to flee to the front door, although due to her extensive injuries and general weakness, Gertrude caught her before she could escape the property. Sylvia was then given toast to eat but was unable to consume the food due to her extreme state of dehydration. Gertrude forced the toast into her mouth before repeatedly striking her face with a curtain rod until sections of the instrument were bent into right angles. Coy Hubbard then took the curtain rod from Gertrude and struck Sylvia one further time, rendering her unconscious. Gertrude then dragged Sylvia into the basement.

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Over the course of the following 14 years, Gertrude Baniszewski became known as a model prisoner at the Indiana Women's Prison. She worked in the prison sewing shop and was known as somewhat of a "den mother" to younger female inmates, becoming known to some within the prison by the nickname "Mom". By the time of Gertrude's ultimate parole in 1985, she had changed her name to Nadine Van Fossan (a combination of her middle name and maiden name), and described herself as a devout Christian.

Taking Gertrude's good conduct in prison into account, the parole board marginally voted in favor of granting her parole. She was released from prison on December 4, 1985. Following her release from prison, Gertrude relocated to Iowa. ~~She~~ never accepted full responsibility for being the ultimate architect in Sylvia's prolonged torment and ultimate death; insisting she was unable to precisely recall any of her actions in the months of Sylvia's prolonged and increasing abuse and torment within her home. She primarily blamed her actions upon the medication she had been prescribed to treat her asthma. She lived in relative obscurity in Laurel, Iowa until her death due to lung cancer on June 16, 1990, at the age of 61.

Taking Gertrude's good conduct in prison into account, the parole board marginally voted in favor of granting her parole. She was released from prison on December 4, 1985. Following her release from prison, Gertrude relocated to Iowa. Despite her clean image, she never accepted full responsibility for being the ultimate architect in Sylvia's prolonged torment and ultimate death; insisting she was unable to precisely recall any of her actions in the months of Sylvia's prolonged and increasing abuse and torment within her home. She primarily blamed her actions upon the medication she had been prescribed to treat her asthma. She lived in relative obscurity in Laurel, Iowa until her death due to lung cancer on June 16, 1990, at the age of 61.

==See also==

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[[Category:Barbarians]]

[[Category:Mongers]]

~~[[Category:Perverts]]~~

[[Category:Traitor]]

[[Category:Female]]

~~[[Category:Envious Villains]]~~

[[Category:Provoker]]

[[Category:Neutral Evil]]

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[[Category:Emotionless Villains]]

[[Category:Bully]]

[[Category:From Nobody to Nightmare]]

[[Category:Perverts]]

[[Category:Envious Villains]]

[[Category:Modern Villains]]

[[Category:United States of America]]

[[Category:Remorseful]]

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 {{Important}}
 {{Villain_Infobox
-|Image = Gertrude-baniszewski002.jpg
+|image = Gertrude-baniszewski002.jpg
 |fullname = Gertrude Nadine Baniszewski
 |alias = Nadine Van Fossan<br>The Torture Mother
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |origin = Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
 |type of villain = Sadistic Torturer
-|crimes = [[Murder]]<br>[[Torture]]<br>[[Child Abuse|Child abuse]]<br>Mutilation<br>Psychological abuse<br>Sexual abuse
+|crimes = [[Murder]]<br>[[Torture]]<br>[[Child Abuse|Child abuse]]<br>Mutilation<br>Psychological abuse<br>Sexual abuse<br>[[Misandry]]<br>[[Misogyny]]
 |goals = Kill Sylvia Likens (succeeded)
 |hobby = Torturing Sylvia}}
 {{Quote|Also known as the Torture Mother, Gertrude Baniszewski was an Indiana divorcee who oversaw and facilitated a prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of a teenage girl, Sylvia Likens. It was later discovered that the death and majority of the torture was actually carried out under Baniszewski’s instruction by her teenage children and other kids from the neighborhood. When the woman was convicted of first degree murder in 1965, the case was called, “the single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana’s history."|Description of Gertrude Baniszewski on List 25's ''25 Most Evil Women in History'', on which she was the 25th entrant.}}
-'''Gertrude Baniszewski''' (September 19<sup>th</sup>, 1929 - June 16<sup>th</sup>, 1990) was an American woman who tortured and murdered a 16 year old girl named Sylvia Likens in her own home in the state of Indiana. She encouraged her children and their friends to join in the torture-murder. The crime was considered to be the worst in the state's history.
+'''Gertrude Baniszewski''' (September 19<sup>th</sup>, 1928 - June 16<sup>th</sup>, 1990) was an American woman who tortured and murdered a 16 year old girl named Sylvia Likens in her own home in the state of Indiana. She encouraged her children and their friends to join in the torture-murder. The crime was considered to be the worst in the state's history.
 ==Early Life==
-Baniszewski was born on September 19<sup>th</sup>, 1929 to Mollie Myrtle and Hugh Marcus Van Fossan, Sr. She dropped out from high school six years after her father died, and she then married an 18-year-old deputy by the name of John Stephen Baniszewski and had five children with him. They divorced ten years later.
+Baniszewski was born on September 19<sup>th</sup>, 1928 to Mollie Myrtle and Hugh Marcus Van Fossan, Sr. She dropped out from high school six years after her father died in front of her, and she then married an 18-year-old deputy by the name of John Stephen Baniszewski and had five children with him. They divorced ten years later.
-She later moved in with her 18-year-old boyfriend and had one child with him. He later left her after the child was born.
+She later moved in with her 18-year-old boyfriend and had one child with him. He later left her after the child was born. Both of her boyfriends were abusive and were theorized to be the reasons why she was so vicious towards Sylvia Likens, in addition to her deteriorating health and appearance.
 ==Sylvia Likens==
-years later in July 1965, Sylvia's parents asked for Gertrude to take her and her sister in as boarders while they continued to work as carnival employees. As payment for her cooperation, they would pay her $20 regularly. However, they had fallen short on a payment and Gertrude proceeded to beat the two girls as a result. Thus began a long history of [[Child Abuse|child abuse]].
+years later in July 1965, Sylvia's parents asked for Gertrude to take her and her sister in as boarders while they continued to work as carnival employees. As payment for her cooperation, they would pay her $20 regularly. The reason why Sylvia's parents did this was because Sylvia and her sister Jenny had befriended Gertrude's children a few weeks prior. During the first weeks of their day, the Likens sisters were relatively well-treated by Gertrude. One day, Sylvia's parents failed to send the payment in time, prompting Gertrude beat the two girls as a result. Thus began a long history of [[Child Abuse|child abuse]].
 ===Torture===
-[[File:1536774877633.jpeg|thumb|left|188px|Sylvia Likens.|link=Special:FilePath/1536774877633.jpeg]]Baniszewski began to physically abuse Sylvia in 1965. She appointed her own children into bullying her and they would do horrible things to her like pushing her down the stairs, burning cigarettes onto her skin multiple times and forcing her to consume her excrement and vomit. Her daughter Paula, one of the torturers, once tried to repent of her hatred towards Sylvia to a pastor but Gertude prevented her from doing so by stating that Sylvia was the one being hateful. Gertrude also accused Sylvia of being a prostitute, and "preached" to her about how it was wrong to sell your body for money, and that women were filthy in general. Hypocritically, Gertrude decided to please her fellow torturers, most of them male neighborhood children, by forcing Sylvia to participate in a strip tease, where she was stripped naked and had her vagina forcibly violated by an empty glass Coca Cola bottle. The most infamous and horrific act throughout the months of torture was when Baniszewski, with the help of her child torturers, carved the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" onto her stomach with a heated needle. The letter "S" (ended up looking like a "3") was also burnt above the words with a hot iron poker.
+[[File:1536774877633.jpeg|thumb|left|188px|Sylvia Likens.|link=Special:FilePath/1536774877633.jpeg]]Baniszewski began to exclusively abuse Sylvia, whilst threatening her sister with the same treatment if she reported the abuse. She appointed her own children into bullying her and they would do horrible things to her like pushing her down the stairs, burning cigarettes onto her skin multiple times, kicking her vagina until it was swollen shut and forcing her to consume her excrement and vomit. Her daughter Paula, one of the torturers, once tried to repent of her hatred towards Sylvia to a pastor but Gertude prevented her from doing so by stating that Sylvia was the one being hateful. Gertrude also accused Sylvia of being a prostitute, and "preached" to her about how it was wrong to sell your body for money, and that women were filthy in general. Hypocritically, Gertrude decided to please her fellow torturers, most of them male neighborhood children, by forcing Sylvia to participate in a strip tease, where she was stripped naked and had her vagina forcibly violated by an empty glass Coca Cola bottle. The most infamous and horrific act throughout the months of torture was when Baniszewski, with the help of her child torturers, carved the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" onto her stomach with a heated needle. The letter "S" (ended up looking like a "3") was also burnt above the words with a hot iron poker.
 On October 25, Sylvia attempted to escape from the basement after overhearing conversation pertaining to Gertrude Baniszewski's plan to simply abandon her to die. She attempted to flee to the front door, although due to her extensive injuries and general weakness, Gertrude caught her before she could escape the property. Sylvia was then given toast to eat but was unable to consume the food due to her extreme state of dehydration. Gertrude forced the toast into her mouth before repeatedly striking her face with a curtain rod until sections of the instrument were bent into right angles. Coy Hubbard then took the curtain rod from Gertrude and struck Sylvia one further time, rendering her unconscious. Gertrude then dragged Sylvia into the basement.
@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 Over the course of the following 14 years, Gertrude Baniszewski became known as a model prisoner at the Indiana Women's Prison. She worked in the prison sewing shop and was known as somewhat of a "den mother" to younger female inmates, becoming known to some within the prison by the nickname "Mom". By the time of Gertrude's ultimate parole in 1985, she had changed her name to Nadine Van Fossan (a combination of her middle name and maiden name), and described herself as a devout Christian.
-Taking Gertrude's good conduct in prison into account, the parole board marginally voted in favor of granting her parole. She was released from prison on December 4, 1985. Following her release from prison, Gertrude relocated to Iowa. She never accepted full responsibility for being the ultimate architect in Sylvia's prolonged torment and ultimate death; insisting she was unable to precisely recall any of her actions in the months of Sylvia's prolonged and increasing abuse and torment within her home. She primarily blamed her actions upon the medication she had been prescribed to treat her asthma. She lived in relative obscurity in Laurel, Iowa until her death due to lung cancer on June 16, 1990, at the age of 61.
+Taking Gertrude's good conduct in prison into account, the parole board marginally voted in favor of granting her parole. She was released from prison on December 4, 1985. Following her release from prison, Gertrude relocated to Iowa. Despite her clean image, she never accepted full responsibility for being the ultimate architect in Sylvia's prolonged torment and ultimate death; insisting she was unable to precisely recall any of her actions in the months of Sylvia's prolonged and increasing abuse and torment within her home. She primarily blamed her actions upon the medication she had been prescribed to treat her asthma. She lived in relative obscurity in Laurel, Iowa until her death due to lung cancer on June 16, 1990, at the age of 61.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 90: / Line 90: @@
 [[Category:Barbarians]]
 [[Category:Mongers]]
-[[Category:Perverts]]
 [[Category:Traitor]]
 [[Category:Female]]
-[[Category:Envious Villains]]
 [[Category:Provoker]]
 [[Category:Neutral Evil]]
@@ Line 99: / Line 97: @@
 [[Category:Emotionless Villains]]
 [[Category:Bully]]
+[[Category:From Nobody to Nightmare]]
+[[Category:Perverts]]
+[[Category:Envious Villains]]
+[[Category:Modern Villains]]
+[[Category:United States of America]]
+[[Category:Remorseful]]