Mary Bell Research Paper

Mary Flora Bell was born May 26, 1957 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom and is still alive today. Mary, as we all know her, was called The Tyneside Strangler. Mary strangled two boys, ages 3 and 4, to death in 1968. She was 10 years old – this occurred the day before her 11th birthday. In December of 1968, Mary was convicted of manslaughter for the 2 killings. She was imprisoned for 12 years until her release from Askham Grange open prison at 23 years old. In addition to her release, she was given a new name, as well, in order to begin her new life. To this day, she, and her daughter (born May 25, 1984 – 16 years to the exact day of Mary’s first killing), who gave her a grandchild in 2009, live in anonymity, which was granted to Bell and her family in 2003, for life). This is now known as a “Mary Bell Order.” Under this order, any convict may have their identity permanently protected.

She was, obviously, a child herself at the age of 17 years old and was unsure of who May’s (this was Mary’s nickname) father was, though Betty married William “Billy” Bell shortly after Mary was born. Bill Bell was a life-long criminal and was eventually arrested for armed robbery. From what members of Mary’s family have stated, she was sexually abused by her mother’s “boyfriends” beginning at the age of 4, within the first few years of Mary’s life, her mother tried multiple times to kill her and make it look accidental. Mary, supposedly, took too many sleeping pills one time and fell out of a window. As for the sexual abuse, Mary was forced by Betty to perform for some of her