Mary Bell Case : Child From Hell

In December 1968, Mary Flora Bell (ten-years-old) was convicted of the manslaughter of two boys, Martin Brown four-years-old) and Brian Howe (three-years-old).

Her mother was a sadomasochistic dominatrix (prostitute) who used her unfortunate daughter with her clients.Mary herself said that she was subject to repeated sexual abuse, her mother forcing her to engage in sex acts with men from the age of five. As Mary grew up she exhibited significant signs of rage including the torture of animals and attempts to kill other children through strangulation, what she referred to as “massage”.  Her understanding of strangulation was not that the victim was dead but that she or he would wake up again, suggesting that perhaps her mother, Betty  suffocated then revived her daughter during prostitution sessions.

May 25,1968

• Mary Bell was convicted on May 25,1968 of strangling toddler Martin Brown , when she was 10 years old. Between that time and the second murder, she and her friend Norma Bell  broke into a Nursery in Scotswood, leaving notes that claimed responsibility for the Brown murder. 

July 31, 1968

• On July 31, 1968, the two took part in the death, again by strangulation, of three-year-old Brian Howe. Police reports concluded that Mary Bell had gone back after killing him to carve an "M" in his stomach with a razor, as well as use scissors to cut off bits of his hair and scrape part of his genitals. 

December 17,1968

• Eventually Mary was convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility and although only a child at the time of her conviction she was sentenced to prison “indefinitely“.  Mary ultimately served twelve years in juvenile and adult prison before she was released.  
• During this time, Mary mailed her mother a letter that read in part, “Please Mam, put my tiny mind at ease, tell judge and jury on your knees. They will listen to your cry of ‘please’. The guilty one is you, not me. I am sorry it has to be this way.  We’ll both cry and you will go away. Tell them you are guilty, please. So then Mam, I’ll be free. Your daughter, May.”

1980

• Bell was released from prison in 1980 (aged 23), and was granted anonymity to start a new life (under an assumed name) with her daughter.