Murdered Teen's Family Suing Manhunt Creator, Sony
- August 02, 2004 14:24 PM PST
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Family says Rockstar Games and Sony is responsible for the brutal murder of their 14-year old son.
Parents of the 14-year old Stefan Pakeerah, who was killed at the hands of 17-year old Warren Leblanc, are to sue Rockstar Games and Sony, blaming the death of their son on the controversially violent Manhunt.The Pakeerah family alleges that Leblanc was obsessed with Manhunt, and inspired him to impale Stefan Pakeerah with a claw hammer.
"Children are being trained to kill each other through these games. The tragedy of Stefan is not an isolated incident," said Jack Thompson to the Times, who is representing the Pakeerah family. "The Pakeerahs are a brave family because they are willing to do something about it."
Several retailers pulled Manhunt from the shelves, including Dixons and Woolworth, fearing further backlash for the game.
Rockstar Games issued an official statement last week, denying responsibility and saying that the game shouldn't have been in possession of a juvenile to begin with.
"We would like to extend our sympathies to the Pakeerah family. We reject any suggestion or association between the tragic events and the sale of Manhunt. There is a clear certification structure in place and Manhunt was clearly classified as 18 by the British Board of Film Classification and should not be in the possession of a juvenile."
