Is An American Crime Based On A True Story?

An American Crime, a 2007 film, is a disturbingly accurate adaptation of the horrific real-life murder of Sylvia Likens in 1965. The movie depicts the brutal torture inflicted upon Likens by Gertrude Baniszewski and others, but even the film toned down the true extent of the abuse. The true story reveals a shocking failure of intervention by numerous adults and children, who either participated, witnessed the abuse without acting, or remained silent due to fear or a code of silence. The trial that followed resulted in various convictions and sentences, though some perpetrators received relatively lenient punishments, and Gertrude Baniszewski was eventually paroled before her death. The sources explore both the film's depiction and the harrowing details of the actual crime, highlighting the devastating consequences of systemic abuse and the failure to protect a vulnerable child.