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Mary Bell
Abstract
The story of Mary Bell is an excellent example of how unsupervised parental guidance and strained relationship plays a crucial role in creating serial killers. Interestingly, Mary Bell lacks the motive to engage in the killings apart from her scarred childhood. She experienced both sexual and physical abuse while growing up, and this contributes to her detachment emotionally. She rarely connects with children her age. There is no value in their relationship with her mother. Their relationship is disjointed, as evidenced by the many times her mother attempts to murder her. Her prostitute mother, Betty, attempted to instill adult social norms early in her life, which disorients her upbringing. Although many discover her unusual behavior early in her life, there is no treatment in place to help her heal. She is left on her own, which later results in devastating implications. After her release, the only thing she wants is protection for her family and never allows her past life to affect them. Due to the new rules regarding previous criminals' anonymity, no one knows where Mary Bell is currently.
Where She Is Currently
After serving for approximately twelve years in prison, Mary Bell is released finally by the government at twenty-three. The government granted her a new identity and anonymity to ensure that she escapes the media scrutiny and start a new life. After her release, she became a mother four years later (Sereny, 12a). She lived in her hometown after her release although not for long .While remaining anonymous, Bell became instrumental in contributing to the Biography, providing tidbits and avenues about her childhood life and its effects on her growth. The government was angry that Mary Bell would receive payment for her contribution to the Biography. The government set all means possible to prevent the book publication.
In 2001, she won a High Court case to remain anonymous and help her daughter to keep her anonymity for as long as she is alive. Mary’s granddaughter was later included in the anonymity pact. After Mary Bell’s identity is unearthed by the press when they realized where she is located, she wanted her family to remain intact and protected from her previous crime. There is no person who knows her whereabouts (Sereny, 14a). With the new anonymity regulations and laws in place, it is difficult for an individual to comprehend where she relocated. Hopefully, such an identity would be revealed when she dies. Nonetheless, after multiple childhoods of trauma and abuse, it is best for Bell to have an opportunity to raise and live with a family in a peaceful environment free from media scrutiny.
Family Life
Mary Bell was one of the most intelligent young girls of her generation. The other Kids in their neighborhood described Mary Bell as a girl that experienced a troubled childhood. Her prostitute mother was responsible for her upbringing. Her professional work forces her to be absent most of the time. She was only seventeen years of age when she got pregnant. Mary has never known her biological father and she never even mentions him her entire life. Most family members indicated that her mother had, on various occasions, attempted to kill her and make her death look like an accident (Hymowitz, 50). For instance, Mary fell accidentally after taking sleeping pills. However, an independent witness gave an account indicating that they witnessed Betty giving sleeping pills to Mary pretending to be sweets.
The Court Case and Mental Illness
Thriller and horror cinematography has often provided narratives of cruel and wicked children. However, reality sometimes overcomes fantasy and fiction, as in the story of Mary Bell. She was born in 1957 in England and was the daughter of the famous prostitute Betty. She has never known her father her entire life. A few months after giving birth to Bell, Betty marries a renowned criminal who acted as Bell's father (Gernes, 29). During this period, Newcastle was violent and had recorded extensive rates of crime. Soon, Mary commenced behaving aggressively, beat classmates and vandalized things. On the eve of her eleventh birthday, Mary is with her Friend Henan Belle. They decide to create a trap for Martin Brown, a four-year-old boy who is a son to their neighbor. They implore him using sweet and attractive words. They start by deceiving the boy that they will give him candies. They then take him to an abandoned nearby house. Mary strangles and chokes him to death. Upon returning, the parents fail to see Martin Brown (Riddell, 6).They report the incident to the police, who, after a reasonable search, find a body abandoned in a nearby abandoned house the following day. Initially, the case is seen as an accident due to the lack of apparent signs on Martin's body indicating any form of attack
After a few weeks, there is an unusual happening in Martin's kindergarten. An unknown person sneaks inside and vandalizes things, destroying chairs, overturning classrooms, and on the walls, there was a writing saying that Martin was murdered. The police opens an investigation into the matter, but in the end, they pass it as an episode of vandalism, which had no bad intentions. In 1968, Norma and Mary strikes again, and they target a 3-year old boy, Brian. He is also lured by a candy excuse and strangled. However, this time, they decide to embody the letter M on her stomach (Riddell, 6). They cut his genitals and hair, leaving the corpse out in the field. The body is found on the same day and is connected to Martin's death. The community members are informed that there is a serial killer on the loose.
The police questions approximately 12000 children and two young girls are suspected. They were Norma Jean Bell and Mary Bell. Their responses were less convincing, and after a reasonable pressure, Mary Bell admits that she is responsible for the death of both Martin and Brian. Mary is arrested, whereas Norma is classified as an inactive spectator in the crime. Although Mary declares that Norma is her accomplice and participated actively in the killings, the police fail to believe her. She is sentenced to death in 1968 (Lawton, 219). She remains in prison for 12 years until 1980, when she is released after undergoing various psychiatric treatments (Sereny, 20 b). The justice department declares her healed while in her detention, which played an instrumental role in her release. She is issued with a new identity to help her fit into society without people reminding her of her past, including the members of the press and media. Throughout her entire life, her presence in the media is polarized. For this reason, there are specific segments of the population that believe that she is attempting to correct her mistakes.
Mary Bell's background and upbringing were influential in her delinquent behavior. She is raised in an impoverished area in Newcastle. The site is a densely-populated and working-class area, which is an indicator of the hustle surrounding the area. The local children are frequently seen in the playfield without having any parental supervision. Besides, her home life is a nightmare of deprivation and extreme abuse (Sereny, 20 b). She is brought up by a mentally unstable and alcoholic mother who is mostly absent from the family due to her prostitute profession. Besides, during the first few years, she is forced by her mother to engage in prostitution. Her parent even threatens her.
There are also serious allegations that her mother had a mental illness or a psychiatric illness known as Munchausen's syndrome caused by the fabricated health challenges resulting from the caregivers. In other words, Mary plays a crucial role in worsening her mother's mental conditions since she believes that this could set her free. The awful upbringing seems to have shaped her character and personality. For instance, some of her schoolmates indicated that Mary is known for her unpredictable and violent behavior. Moreover, although she is pretty, her teachers could only comment on how brilliant she is in school but raised concerns about her emotional detachment from others. Besides, although her behavior is noticed from an early age, there is no treatment in place to help her recover hence ending up causing terrible consequences.
Works Cited
Gernes, Joshua Joseph. WHAT CREATES JUVENILE KILLERS? A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF AUSTIN SIGG AND MARY BELL. Diss. 2017.
Hymowitz, Kay S. "Cries Unheard-Why Children Kill by Gitta Sereny (Book Review)." Commentary 108.2 (1999): 68.
Lawton, Henry. "" Cries Unheard: Why Children Kill, The Story of Mary Bell", by Gitta Sereny (Book Review)." The Journal of Psychohistory 27.2 (1999): 219.
Riddell, M. "So what if Mary Bell was paid to tell her story? Politicians and journalists who profess outrage..." New Statesman 127.4383 (1998): 6-6.
Sereny, Gitta, a. The case of Mary Bell: A portrait of a child who murdered. Random House, 2013.
Sereny, Gitta, b. Cries unheard: Why children kill: The story of Mary Bell. Metropolitan Books, 1998.
