As The New York Times noted in their coverage of the 1998 release of “Cries Unheard” by author Gitta Sereny, Mary Bell served 12 years in prison for the murders of Brian Howe and Martin Brown, shuffling from institution to institution, with an intermittent escape from one of them in 1977. Upon her release in 1980 at the age of 23, Bell was given a new name and identity by the British government, and gave birth to a daughter in 1984, per Owlcation.
Since tasting freedom over four decades ago, Bell was (and as of this writing, is) continually sought out by the public and press, who from time to time managed to locate her despite her guise of anonymity. Bell did, however, speak directly to Sereny for “Cries Unheard,” which was received with controversy, as The New York Times pointed out in their own review of the work — and even more so when it was discovered Bell had been paid to recount her story to the book’s author, as the Daily Mail noted years later.
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In 2009, the mother of Martin Brown, June Richardson, spoke with the Daily Mail about Bell’s consideration by the British legal system, expressing frustration and anger over the matter. “It’s all about her and how she has to be protected,” stated Richardson, who added that the family of those murdered by Bell are, by extension, also victims — ones who had not been ” given the same rights as killers [like Mary Bell].”
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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