The Wicked Crimes of Mary Bell

Рет қаралды 290,755

7 ай бұрын

During the 1960s Mary Bell's crimes shocked the world, not just because the victims were children, but because she was a child herself. Bell became one of the youngest people to be charged with murder in modern history. The details of her gruesome acts and the subsequent trial captivated global attention. Her case raised profound questions about juvenile criminal responsibility. Despite serving a prison sentence, she was released in 1980 and granted lifelong anonymity. The story of Mary Bell remains a chilling chapter in true crime, sparking ongoing debates on rehabilitation and the complexities surrounding childhood criminality.
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Пікірлер: 812

@whowantswaffles 6 ай бұрын

This is what bugs me when people say "back in my day xyz didn't happen!" yes, yes it did. Kids were terribly abused. Awful murders happened. Babies were neglected. You just didn't know about it.

@mariaaguadoball3407 6 ай бұрын

I recently had a younger person tell me that the violence happening these days is because parents now "don't know what their kids are doing." I can remember being pushed out of the house and told not to come back till dinnertime... from the age of 5.

@alukuhito 6 ай бұрын

Also, they got away with more, because they were never recorded, like now when everyone can take photos and videos with their phones.

@barneyronnie 6 ай бұрын

Indeed, you are quite correct. Man/ Women have always committed atrocities throughout written history.

@ihatespam2 6 ай бұрын

For some their childhood naïveté is ignored and they don’t realize how sheltered they were.

@dollface2917 6 ай бұрын

@@mariaaguadoball3407My mother was 3rd of 4 children, born in the early 50’s. Her sister was the oldest and at age 8/9 was sent out with the younger children, one still in a pram, with bread and jam, and a bottle of water. They knew they were to stay out all day. I’m not saying all parents were so neglectful, but it certainly happened 😢

@Badficwriter 7 ай бұрын

Reminder that families with sexual abuse will often lie about it, even long after the fact. The fact her family didn't corroborate sexual abuse of Mary doesn't mean it didn't happen.

@kerim.peardon5551 7 ай бұрын

And sometimes, in a family with multiple children, only one of them will the be the subject of abuse, or will receive a different form of abuse than the others. The eldest child usually is the one who bears the brunt of it.

@playaprinnces 6 ай бұрын

@@kerim.peardon5551Mary was born the second eldest btw

@change_your_oil_regularly4287 6 ай бұрын

But it also doesn't mean it did

@kerim.peardon5551 6 ай бұрын

@@playaprinnces At the rate her mother was trying to do her in, did her elder sibling even survive childhood?

@lucyjane1183 6 ай бұрын

She was an evil murderous bitch, trying to give excuses for this crap, is an insult to the 2 little boys. Many children from that era grew up in the same social environment with shit parents, but do you know what, they didn't murder 2 little boys and cut their genitalia. She should not be living her cosy little life as a mother and grandmother that profited handsomely from her crimes. She should have had life imprisonment as beings as she took away 2 lives.

@grimm29 7 ай бұрын

Scary for any parent TBH - you warn your bairns about the danger from strangers, but don't think about the serious harm that could come from other children. Thank you for another excellently researched documentary

@cathrinewhite7629 7 ай бұрын

I've always called my son my bairn! He was my wee bairn- but at 6'2", I had to drop the "wee". None of my friends knew what I was talking about, so I was always explaining it. I may be American, but my paternal grandmother was Scottish. 🙏🏼

@djm7494 7 ай бұрын

Nawwwww I became aware of the term Bairn from watching Outlander…. So sweet hearing it in real life!! Love from a very hot and sweaty Brisbane

@cathrinewhite7629 7 ай бұрын

@@djm7494 I have not got to watch that show yet. Heard it was good tho!

@soonmeekim930 7 ай бұрын

Ha. Good timing. My 11 year old daughter told me that a student was smoking crack in the bathroom today….she meant weed….but wth kids. When she was in 5th grade, her classmate brought a knife to school. In 2nd or 3rd grade, a student at her school brought a gun to school on a military base.

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

Bairn is baby bear?

@gennevievehuskshirley9287 6 ай бұрын

That last bit from the mother did me in. I found myself crying in the bathroom at 6 a.m. as I got ready to go to work. See, this is why I tend to prefer to listen to older stories, where everyone who was there is dead and gone. Modern stories hit me harder because I know there are people out there living with the pain.

@vali4034 6 ай бұрын

Hugs

@fonziebulldog5786 6 ай бұрын

You could still be alive if you are born in the 50s and 60s. I am here and friends who are born in the 30s.😀

@mimsydreams 6 ай бұрын

@@fonziebulldog5786 That's their point; The mother may still be alive and suffering and missing her baby boy. I prefer the history true crime stories, for the same reason. They hurt, but not as sharply.

@annstubbs2256 6 ай бұрын

She was evil

@basbleupeaunoire 6 ай бұрын

Oh, bless.

@elainefrawley9358 7 ай бұрын

I know it was a different time but 3 and 4 year olds out running around playing alone is hard to comprehend in this day and age

@SherryAnnOfTheWest 7 ай бұрын

I grew up in that "time" and there IS no way 3 or 4 yr olds were running around like that where I'm from .....

@crystalclear6864 6 ай бұрын

Children do not howxto play now or adapt to playground interaction to prepare them for real life.

@crystalclear6864 6 ай бұрын

Sorry forgot to add NOT alone. and there were boundaries.

@rvdb7363 6 ай бұрын

When I was that age I was also allowed to play with other kids on a playground close to my house. My mother checked in once every while, as did the parents of the other kids. I knew I wasn't allowed to go past a certain tree and I always had to tell my mom if I went with one of the other kids to their house (although i regularly forgot that last one). I grew up in the 90s and my brothers in the 2000s. I think part of it is cultural. In my country children are trusted to discover independence at a young age.

@hogwashmcturnip8930 6 ай бұрын

@@SherryAnnOfTheWest I am a year younger than Mary and although the kids in my area played in the street, we were Never allowed to go beyond set borders or be out of the sight of an adult. Nor were 3 and 4 year olds allowed out. The idea that they were allowed to roam seemingly at will, like little ferals, in areas that were dangerous enough without psycho kids, made my blood run cold. And the way nothing was done when there were a forest of Red Flags Imagine if Social Services and the police had allowed this to happen now.

@Savvy1718 7 ай бұрын

Knowing child development and how a lack of care + affection and trauma impact that development plus everything about a person that comes with it, I’m sadly not surprised Mary was such a violent child. Infants need to be held and emotionally regulated, for their emotional and physical needs met for their brains to develop well. Brains are foundations up and those first months and years are critical. If her mother didn’t even want her at the birth and spent Mary’s childhood sending her away, hating her and even trying to kill her, that makes for a terrible brain soup for Mary. I’m mostly shocked she was able to grow up seemingly well, have a family, and become a member of society with no further behavioral concerns and who feels genuine remorse. I’m happy for her in that regard, that’s really promising for other kids with trauma backgrounds, while still devastated for the lives she took and families who lost the boys. This case is devastating on a lot of levels.

@raquellofstedt9713 6 ай бұрын

Honestly, I am waiting until the daughter has her say until I accept that everything was "normal" in Mary´s adult life. Maybe it was. But often, the child will see wha the outside world does not if a true psychopath has not truly been "cured" or has just learned to act that way.

@stobie9063 6 ай бұрын

@@raquellofstedt9713I understand your way of thinking, but I really do believe it is much more common than we think for children to develop a trauma based psychopathy that gets "better" as they age into adulthood. I've seen it go both ways really. Children aren't set in stone as much as adults.

@DeidreL9 6 ай бұрын

Really well said. Reasoning and understanding of consequence develop as we grow and I think this has been the case with Mary, where the distance of years has allowed her to change. God how complex.

@acefrost2845 6 ай бұрын

The last part brought tears to my eyes, no parent deserves to burry their child, and no child deserves to die before they had a life, he could have been someone who saved lives, had a family but his future was stolen and it can't be given back.

@user-yn8qi4fn4y 5 ай бұрын

Very true

@user-yn8qi4fn4y 5 ай бұрын

my name is Gayla

@ishmael_03 2 ай бұрын

Yes, the 2 boys she gleefully murdered while the other pathetic girl watched had their futures stolen at the hands of a monster who the utilitarian court system declared matter more than theirs. 🤮🤮🤮🤮

@Verityization 6 ай бұрын

When I was a child growing up in the late 1960s Germany, we children used to recite a little poem about "Mary Bell, child of Hell." The story about her crimes must have been in the news at the time.

@shaftomite007 6 ай бұрын

Well don't just leave us in suspense... Recite the entire poem for us please

@joedent3323 3 ай бұрын

Zing it, Fritz!

@cosgroveshepherd191 6 ай бұрын

Mary Bell had a horrific life that no one should inflict on a child, and this spilled out in her dreadful violent acts. But what should be remembered is that, with the minimum of care, she changed and has led a quiet, ordinary life ever since. How we treat our children is literally the difference between life and death.

@993Redveg 5 ай бұрын

Mary Bell is now in her sixties and is the grandmother of a teenage girl. She has never re-offended. Her crimes were unspeakable, but so, equally, was the trauma she endured. Surely she now deserves to be left alone to live the rest of her life in peace and obscurity.

@grahamegaw-mc3bw 4 ай бұрын

Bell never mentioned the victims. Says it all about her.

@cosgroveshepherd191 4 ай бұрын

@@grahamegaw-mc3bw how do you know that? Because if you read Gitta Serena’s book on the circumstances that lead to her killing those children, you would see that she has faced up to the truth of what she did and she does talk about the children. Just not to you.

@docgb5990 10 күн бұрын

@@993Redvegno not really

@annehaight9963 7 ай бұрын

Mary's mom gets angry because...Mary embarrassed the family? Yikes. Mom is clearly just as much a monster.

@dr.ryttmastarecctm6595 7 ай бұрын

This is exactly the same line my Father would have taken had I strayed from his bright-line path in the 1950s. Physical abuse of my siblings and I was a commonplace response to any infraction of the rules. I clearly remember my Father stripping my pants and underpants off at the breakfast table to check for belt welts. However, I did not follow in his footsteps and made a good life for myself, my daughters and now my granddaughters.

@shadowpitched4401 6 ай бұрын

Exactly. Mary's mom lacked any empathy for the victims or for her daughter. Not surprising that Mary lacked empathy when she was younger, too.

@JennRighter 6 ай бұрын

Always the mom’s fault.

@ATomRileyA 2 ай бұрын

@@JennRighter Yep so many crazy women out there that get away with their abuse.

@jritechnology Ай бұрын

@@dr.ryttmastarecctm6595 Lucky you. I wasn't lucky enough to do that, or have any good befall me after I was kicked out of my house at age 18 without any training for life, just a lot of anger.

@DeidreL9 6 ай бұрын

Paul you put it so well when you said “someone as broken as Mary Bell”. I think that’s it in a nutshell. From the moment she was born she was ill cherished and treated terribly. I think something in Mary broke, whether this was a genetic condition or developed, something disconnected in her mind and became fixated on inflicting pain. Emotionlessly, by the sound of things. I can’t help wondering what would have happened had she been able to come to Australia to live. And Norma is a whole other tragedy. It’s all tragic and frightening. Thank you so much for such a clear, balanced account of this horrible time. Shades of the murderers of poor James Bolger. I have to add, so much respect to you for ending with that poor mother’s words. Perhaps her face of grief is the thing we should always remember most in this case. It’s a life sentence of sorrow that this woman carries forever.

@ComeAlongKay 6 ай бұрын

I’m gonna guess something else is wrong as tons of people have just horrifically abusive lives and families as children snd they don’t immediately try to harm others.

@user-yn8qi4fn4y 5 ай бұрын

very much so say's Gayla

@jacquelineithell307 4 ай бұрын

Excellent , l urge people to Read CRY,S UNHEARD , ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING MARY WAS BORN INTO HELL

@IvicaOrsos 4 ай бұрын

I disagree. No grief or trauma is an excuse for a crime. If crime were viewed in such a way, then the law and the police would not be necessary. But if there is law and police, it means that crime cannot be tolerated, no matter what kind of unfortunate story the culprit had. In that case, we can all be evil because we have all experienced bad situations, but we need to control ourselves. It's easiest to be mean. Mary Bell's mother did not force her to murder, but her own choice. She had a murderous nature in her from birth. We are all from Adam and have a certain inborn sin. Basically, there can never be an excuse for a crime. The only people we can feel sorry for here are these two innocent children she killed

@vermilliongecko 3 ай бұрын

@@ComeAlongKay The reason not all abused kids go on to abuse others is mitigating factors. My father had an abusive childhood, but he had other good adults in his life to make up for his violent father. Abused kids often have absolutely no-one to turn to, and abuse makes you mistrust ALL adults, so you don't tell anyone. Where were the positive role models in Mary's life? Completely absent, by the sounds of things.

@lesigh1749 6 ай бұрын

Growing up in a small villiage in the north east in the 1980s, we were told to stay away from a woman at the top of our new built housing estate because she was believed to be Mary Bell under a new identity, living there with her own child. This came from a neighbour who was a serving police constable at the time.

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

Omg! How terrifying 😮😮

@barneyronnie 6 ай бұрын

@@TheCandiceWangHe broke his Oath as civil servant. Tongues will wag😮!

@evelynwilson1566 3 ай бұрын

Understandable though. He would have lived in the local area and care about people there.

@connievino4226 3 ай бұрын

That must have been tough.

@lesigh1749 3 ай бұрын

@@evelynwilson1566 He had three young children of his own, so yes.

@michaelsinger4638 7 ай бұрын

Mary was a victim of horrific abuse from her mother and others at a young age. Then she went on to abuse others who were smaller than her. It’s a horrific cycle and I hope she was able to break it with her own family.

@AnAdorableWombat1 6 ай бұрын

Do you believe that bs??? She wasn’t abused! That is simply an excuse to justify her behavior.

@user-zt1er1uj6i 6 ай бұрын

Nowadays the lame band wagon excuse is "Mental health issues" It's a get out of jail card.

@moirahill6397 6 ай бұрын

@AnAdorableWombat1 It was proven that her mother was bringing clients home and Mary had to listen to the bandage noises going on in another room so, I would say that in itself is pretty Horrific for a child. Traumatising too. It's no excuse at all for what Mary did though, I agree.

@dianacoles1017 5 ай бұрын

@@AnAdorableWombat1she was taken to hospital with broken limbs that were not satisfactorily explained. Nowadays there would have been social services intervention.

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 5 ай бұрын

@@user-zt1er1uj6i "noWaDays??? Are you serious??? Little kid talk

@WonderWhatHappened 7 ай бұрын

This is a tough one. If only the officers at the time took those little girls on the playground seriously , and the little boy that was pushed, there could be two lives saved.

@basbleupeaunoire 6 ай бұрын

Yup. The cops couldn't see past them being small girls. Assumed they were ultimately harmless.

@ComeAlongKay 6 ай бұрын

@@basbleupeaunoireyeah people usually assume innocent looking means innocent, which has been proven false very many times. And people deflect the blame on to others if the person looks innocent but will say it’s just an excuse to blame others who were abusive towards them if the person doesn’t look innocent.

@selmahare 19 күн бұрын

People didn't pay attention to children like that back then, and that is when they paid any attention and cared at all. There were no such things as child psychology. To them it was all just kids getting hurt during play. Things had to often really go south for them to care to look into them properly.

@AAMARTCLUB 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for including the comments of the little boy’s mum. I lost a toddler to cancer but this is so much worse: from my heart I wish her peace. Our babies are with their family in heaven, and we are still their mother, we shall meet in that glorious place where all our troubles are forgotten 🙏🏻

@YuBeace 6 ай бұрын

If her mother was using drugs during the pregnancy as well, then that definitely could have affected the child’s brain. It’s not rare for children of addicts to be diagnosed with behavioural disorders.

@Eidolon1andOnly 6 ай бұрын

Alcohol too. Though the mother also gave the children pills or other drugs to keep them sedate, which would also do a lot of damage to a developing young brain even if the mother abstained from taking drugs and/or alcohol during pregnancy.

@YuBeace 6 ай бұрын

@@Eidolon1andOnly I can't believe I forgot about the mother GIVING them actual pills. That absolutely would have messed up their development.

@kittensugars 6 ай бұрын

The first five years of life, makes the human being. It's SO important that infants are brought into a safe and peaceful home.

@alikamal3464 Ай бұрын

I think that most people are lucky to have that. I was a lucky one who has great parents who raised me right. I was mischievous of course but never a violent monster like this subject we are looking at here.

@Foxless316 7 ай бұрын

Weird one for me personally. Mary lived in my area when I was a bairn in the mid-late 90s. Obviously under a new identity but these things become very well known amongst smaller communities. Thinking back, it must have been before the book was released, as I remember meeting her daughter, too. A very weird feeling for a younger me who didn't fully understand the extent of her crimes, but I was always aware of her past, even as a young kid.

@phaedrapage4217 7 ай бұрын

It is strange when you know you live near someone who has killed someone.

@julierobinson3633 6 ай бұрын

I know it's not the same thing but remember that depending on your age you WILL have known people who have killed someone. My Grandads were in the World Wars - my maternal grandad in WWI and my paternal grandad in WWII. I never knew the former as he died when my mother was a child but my paternal Grandad was a big part of my life as a child. It is likely that both of them had killed people during their time in the wars. @@phaedrapage4217

@lindaparker7199 6 ай бұрын

How awful to be the child of a murderer. I would feel like I had to watch my back for life.

@KC-ez6yv 4 ай бұрын

Where?

@davidaston1644 3 ай бұрын

No body knows where She lived, Apparently She lived in most parts of the UK simultaneously for decades.😒

@rileykittendorf 7 ай бұрын

I’ve heard about Mary bell ages ago, but I’ve never heard this story told this well until now. You are amazing, sir! Also, can we have more blooper footage in the future too? You had me cracking up!

@katjakittenland9689 7 ай бұрын

Thank you, Paul! I've seen several documentaries about Mary Bell, but none explained Mary's background. I now really have a different view on the case. It's horrible what she did, but I also feel for her.

@christopherforder8966 6 ай бұрын

😂😂😂😅😅😅😂❤😂

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

There are lots of docus on youtube about Mary's background and the extreme abuse she suffered

@lisabelle7553 6 ай бұрын

I don't feel bad for her at all. There are many abused children sadly. She was evil and she enjoyed inflicting pain. Why didn't her siblings kill people? They had the same mother. Zero pity and she went on to have a child and only God knows what she put that child through.

@juliebone4929 6 ай бұрын

@@lisabelle7553if you don't feel compassion for a child that has suffered be it mary or her victims. Perhaps you ought to look inside yourself.

@marynoonan6111 6 ай бұрын

Not everyone in the same family is exposed to the same abuse at all. She wasn’t the child of her kindly stepfather, her parentage is unknown. He could’ve been an absolute psychopath. She was severely abused & she, unlike her siblings had some kind of serious mental illness. She was disturbed, very disturbed, but she wasn’t evil. Norma sounds like she had a very low IQ. Tragic tragic stuff for those poor families of the young kids who were murdered.

@rebeccamoore9759 6 ай бұрын

As a child I grew up in one abusive home after another. At the age of my dad pointed a 13 gauge sawed off shot gun to my head when he was drunk and said sorry Becky I have to do this. I was put up for adoption into an extremely cruel and abusive home where I put through every kind of abuse. When I was 12 I was going to kill my adoptive dad who was sleeping on the couch. I even had the rifle aimed at his head. It was the strongest desire I've ever had in my life. Two times I held the rifle to his head. And both times, it kept coming into my mind, "Thou, shall not kill, would I go to prison or a mental institution. My adoptive dad is alive today. I had to learn and memorize the 10 commandments. That's what saved his life. I was out of my adoptive parents house a year later. I told my principal at the Christian school what my adoptive dad to me and I chose to stay in foster care. Not all of us that were abused turned killers or abused our children like the statistics say we will. There are some like me that refuse to be a statistic.

@barneyronnie 6 ай бұрын

I am deeply saddened to hear of your experience. May your blessings continue to flourish in every way😊!

@michelleeverett8125 6 ай бұрын

Were the foster/adopted kids after you safe? Did the predator magically stop hurting children?

@marmadukewinterbotham2599 4 ай бұрын

@@michelleeverett8125 Excellent point.

@crystalclear6864 4 ай бұрын

@@michelleeverett8125 you want her to shoot and kill her abuser? She did what was right for her. Not her fault if the law is not allowed or fails in its duty to protect the victim instead if pandering to the criminal.

@vermilliongecko 3 ай бұрын

@@michelleeverett8125 Don't put that onto her. She's been through trauma you can't even imagine. It took me 21 years to even ACKNOWLEDGE TO MYSELF what was done to me, let alone think about reporting it.

@dollface2917 6 ай бұрын

I’ve always wondered why the children who murdered James Bulger were displayed across the media at 10 years old, yet their home life was never mentioned. They were known to constantly skip school, wandering here, there, and everywhere. What kind of parent doesn’t know what their 10 y/o little boy is? I’m sorry, but when a child commits such crimes, the parents hold equal responsibility in my eyes.

@janmeyer3129 6 ай бұрын

And what is the use of assigning responsibility?

@morganablackwater2017 5 ай бұрын

@@janmeyer3129 without assigning responsibility you can't assign consequences and make changes for better.

@verenamaharajah6082 4 ай бұрын

It came out later in much more detail how those boys were ‘ feral children’, not cared about or cared for by anyone.

@crystalclear6864 4 ай бұрын

Accountable yes to a degree, but there are uncontrollable , nasty kids that the nicest of parents cant tame. Cant put everyone in one box.

@velvetharnish9957 6 ай бұрын

I wish they would have written about what happened to Norma Bell. Thank you for the great narration. I love your voice! 🇨🇦👍

@patriciatoomingtheplantpar2558 6 ай бұрын

And the rest of Mary Bells family!

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

I feel so much for that poor child

@Nebol 6 ай бұрын

Mary's mother "died of lung cancer in 1990, at the age of 50. She had been living in a council flat in Newcastle upon Tyne, and had been estranged from her daughter for many years. She was buried in an unmarked grave, and her death was not widely reported."

@henkdegroot5872 4 ай бұрын

I once saw another documentary: The Mary Bell case. It was obvious that Norma Bell (no relation) wasn't a bright girl. Mary took the initiative.Norma was easily lead. She had a passive role. In her sentence the court found that Mary had a high intelligence, was devious and a cunning personality, typical for a psychopath.....and what most striking was: she showed no remorse at all! Norma had a completely other character. She had a much dimmer mind, was easily lead. So the court took the decision to set Norma free of all charges. Immediately after sentencing Mary to an indeterminate sentence ("at Her Majesty's pleasure") Norma joined her parents to go home.....The Mary Bell case is also featured on KZfaq (47:46). In this video there is also an interview with Betty, Mary's mother, from 1972, four years after the murders........

@megalopolis2015 6 ай бұрын

This is the most thorough and heartbreaking version of this case that I've heard. I'm praying that Mary made the most of her second chance, especially with her family, and that the families of the children brutally removed from the world will have supernatural peace and comfort in their Lives. Thank you for your thoughtful and compassionate care of this story.

@michaelsinger4638 7 ай бұрын

According to the journalist who wrote a book about her and got to know her, Mary seems genuinely remorseful. Especially after becoming a mother and grandmother herself. And she’s not committed another crime since then as far as we know.

@jphillips7838 7 ай бұрын

As far as we know …

@sarahfrith1984 6 ай бұрын

I recently read the 2 books, very interesting and informative

@patricklee6066 6 ай бұрын

Its a shame the two little boys didn't get to grow up to be fathers,and grandfathers.

@LessTalkingMoreWalking 6 ай бұрын

@@patricklee6066 EXACTLY.

@LessTalkingMoreWalking 6 ай бұрын

And were supposed to feel sorry for her.

@thatguyjoe007 6 ай бұрын

Imagine the cold heartless person who would call a grieving mother, ask to see her dead child and then state that they know her child is dead, they want to him in his coffin. What kind of person would do that?

@vandanaanita8389 6 ай бұрын

Mary bell was evil & rotten pure & simple.

@patriciaw.5602 6 ай бұрын

A psychopath who is sly and intelligent. She even lied and argued with the police like a pro.

@verenamaharajah6082 4 ай бұрын

A very damaged child.

@virgilicianame5808 6 күн бұрын

A child who truly doesn’t understand what death is. She knew she inflicted it and there would be a body, etc, but didn’t understand it wanted to know more. Her own mother utterly despised her and tried to kill her, so why (in her mind) would another mother care if someone asked to see her child’s body? Mary’s mom would have been indifferent. That was the only mothering Mary ever had or understood, and universally children think that all families are like their own, and the norm in their home is the norm everywhere. I don’t think she had any conception whatever of the pain she caused, because no one in her home would have cared if she was hurt or died (except maybe her dad, but then again her dad allowed all the things Mary went through and didn’t protect her)

@Boadicea17 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for telling such a horrific story so eloquently and gently. The readings from the murdered little boys mum broke my heart💔

@deniseleplatt1616 7 ай бұрын

Yay a new video from Paul. Thanks so much

@user-ux8nr2ej9e 6 ай бұрын

Sadness all around . The human condition is difficult . May all children be safe , happy and protected .

@elvenkind6072 6 ай бұрын

A tragic story, however it makes it a bit more easy to digest with the clear empathy in the voice, from the narrator. Hope everyone is OK, and will have a good weekend, despite frost and snow having come in the north now.

@laraoneal7284 6 ай бұрын

Childhood trauma is always the core of our issues. If not talked about and dealt with as an adult you may replicate the cycle. We all must address our families of origin in order to understand ourselves and achieve self awareness.

@JJW77 7 ай бұрын

Well, I never thought that they would release a person like Mary Bell from prison.....

@crose7412 2 ай бұрын

@JJW77 He said that she was to be detained until no longer considered a danger...which is what happened.

@FeralSheryl1818 4 ай бұрын

I have watched many stories about Mary Bell. You went more into detail and background information than the others.

@TestigoAburrido 7 ай бұрын

Great video as always.

@rosemaryfranzese317 6 ай бұрын

Mary Bell had undoubted mental issues but there was a chilling element to her. She accused an innocent teacher of assaulting her fortunately for him there was proof he was innocent. Although she didn’t commit anymore crimes that is partly due to the fact she was under constant observation. Mary Bell was given a great deal of help but Norma Bell received none. She is fortunate to be a mother and grandmother and I hope that made her realise the enormity of what she did. She must have had a chaotic childhood but I know people who had terrible childhoods and undoubtedly suffer for it but they grew up to be decent people. Mary Bell was fortunate that she was caught and received so much help and so are the people who lived near her

@Smasheditin66 6 ай бұрын

Such a respectful video with regards to the victims of Mary Bell and their families

@WeAreNotAmused 6 ай бұрын

It's the betrayal of a parent to not instill a sense of right and wrong in the children they brought in to the world

@sherihepworth8253 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for honoring the mother’s loss.

@Gundus1000 6 ай бұрын

You are doing this in an understanding and emphatic way. More and more, I am convinced, that content like Your's is now the real "Television". This case is of special hopelessness. But You manage the content with dignity.

@ubergeek1968 6 ай бұрын

My wife lost her son at age 2 1/2 and I know how true Mrs Brown's statement is. You truly do not ever "get over" the death of a child, you simply survive it. Mary Bell probably had fetal alcohol syndrome, or was born addicted to drugs, add that to the psychological abuse (and probable sexual abuse) it is a miracle she didn't turn out much much much worse

@verenamaharajah6082 4 ай бұрын

How could she be worse?

@jlongino51823 6 ай бұрын

No one else has ever done this story so well. Thank you. I don’t think she deserved to have her identity changed or be benefiting from her crimes.

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

She doesn't. 😭😡

@janetpendlebury6808 6 ай бұрын

How has she benefitted from her crimes? And what sort of life could she have made for herself if she did not change her name? Anyone can change their name legally, why not her?

@amulyaranjan6070 2 ай бұрын

@@janetpendlebury6808Because she killed 2 small children

@mookzmom 6 ай бұрын

I've read about this and seen several documentaries on this case, but you did the best I've heard. I've always been creeped out by her eerie beauty.

@lorrainedalgleish7616 6 ай бұрын

Interesting new facts Mr Brody brought up here . I never read that Betty Bell had 3 other children as well as Mary and her younger brother. I wonder how the younger siblings managed to stay safe from Mary ? The contraceptive pill was available at this period so why did Betty choose to have 5 kids ? In Gitta Sereny's book she elaborates on the S&M techniques which Betty employed on her clients, maybe that's where little Mary picked up the idea of asphyxiation being something pleasurable rather than fatal ? I guess, leading up to the murders, Mary got away with escalating bad behaviour towards other neighbourhood kids because her mum was a nutter and her stepdad was the local hard man. Can you imagine the response you'd get if you knocked on their door for a friendly discussion about what's wrong with Mary ! A Glasgow smile ?

@aprilrich807 6 ай бұрын

This is 100% the finest telling of Mary Bell’s story. I’ve watched many about her here on KZfaq, but this piece was far more informative. Thank you!

@howard123 5 ай бұрын

myra hindley said to her sister..we got beaten as children. her sister replied " yes..but i didnt do what YOU did !! same with the evil mary bell !

@katehavekost754 29 күн бұрын

It sounds like Mary was abused above and beyond that suffered by siblings. Also Myra Hindley had a fully developed prefrontal cortex which is necessary to be able to understand consequence.

@TheNationalfilmbored 28 күн бұрын

Like the other person said, Myra Hindley was an adult at the time of her crimes, while Mary was eleven. I can’t get behind branding a deeply disturbed child, too young to even really think things through, as evil for the rest of their life.

@gigiwilson9124 7 ай бұрын

Another wonderful piece of work Paul thank you

@michellevasquez2131 6 ай бұрын

Hearing that these 3 year old little boys were allowed outside to play with their friends without adult supervision is crazy to hear. Times certainly have changed.

@janmeyer3129 6 ай бұрын

I lived in quite an affluent suburb in Australia in the 1950s & 1960s & we were free to roam as an unsupervised pack until tea time

@alikamal3464 Ай бұрын

Nowadays we cannot even let them go around a corner out of our sight. Even in rural settings.

@lorainepino8153 6 ай бұрын

it is crazy to think about letting a 3 year old go off in the streets to explore the neighborhood

@IhaveMy0pinion 4 ай бұрын

I did at 3 yr old in 1969..... I

@verenamaharajah6082 4 ай бұрын

I was born in 1957 and I can assure you, decent folks never let their 3 year olds wander outside. A 3 year old might get outside by accident but not otherwise.

@chrissibersky4617 4 ай бұрын

When I was a kid we worked in the mines.

@sayawolf1061 6 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for adding the photos! It makes it more easy and interesting to picture the Story. Unbelieable how many times Mary has gotten away with her earliest crimes. And very sad how such a young girl was able to do such horrible crimes 😢

@ivorlongshot 6 ай бұрын

I'm from Northumberland, my Mum always told me to get home before dark so Mary Bell couldn't get me. Just her name terrified me as a kid. And to think she may be a neighbour, even a friend & unless she tells you, you'll never know.

@ImCarolB 7 ай бұрын

I have read Cries Unheard and it's a very good book. I feel sorry for everyone involved, except, maybe, Mary's mother.

@janetpendlebury6808 6 ай бұрын

Do we know the kind of upbringing Mary's mother had? Perhaps her mother and father abused her and she had a shocking upbringing also.

@sarahfrith1984 6 ай бұрын

I’ve read both Gitta Sereny’s books on Mary and they are so interesting, highly recommend anyone interested in this case read them!

@Uapa500 6 ай бұрын

@@janetpendlebury6808it's like a chain. I'm happy Mary seems to have broken it, in the end, hopefully her daughter and grandchildren will be fine.

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

@@janetpendlebury6808I will be shocked if Mrs. Bell wasn't highly extremely abused, herself, as a child. As said, these generational traumas happen in cycles. I pray to God that Mary has actually broken the cycle, rather than just pretended to.

@juliebone4929 6 ай бұрын

@@TheCandiceWangI'd put more likes on your comment if I could. I pray for the cycle to be broken too.

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

Imagine being a girl and finding out your own mother murdered and mutilated 2 children when she was... Britain's youngest killer (I think she may be). She'd be shook.

@OneTrueScotsman 6 ай бұрын

I think Jon Venebles and Robert Thompson were younger. Though all three were ten years old. I might be wrong though.

@gothmamasylvia462 7 ай бұрын

I'm glad Mary was able to be rehabilitated, and went on to live a normal life. If anyone is to be blamed for Mary's actions as a child, it was her mother. Being taken away from her mother was the best thing that could have happened to that poor child. The care she got after she was removed from her mother's home must have been exceptionally good, as she felt remorse for her actions, and went on to live a normal life. Not all children who have committed such crimes turn out so well.

@Foxys1974 7 ай бұрын

Glad to see this comment! Was always horrified by her story until a couple of years ago, a documentary gave more info than I’d previously ever heard. And now I think this little girl was just acting out what she was seeing, hearing, experiencing… She got help and is said to have had a good and productive life… Never forgetting the victims and their family’s.. child neglect and abuse has a ripple affect.

@madelinemcmillan4020 6 ай бұрын

Sounds like her mother was just another Mary bell that never received help tbh. Do we blame society?

@ppwass9897 6 ай бұрын

am a subscriber to multiple crime channels on KZfaq and have requested this case to all of them. Finally, some coverage, thank you!!!

@KappaYokai-er7xp 6 ай бұрын

This is so scary for any parent to live through, I hope the victims families are doing well; the pain never really goes away and my heart breaks for them. Thank you Paul and team for covering this.

@hayesjulie 7 ай бұрын

Wow. You have filled in so many holes for me in the story of Mary Bell.❤

@wouwou9146 6 ай бұрын

As a mother of a 3 year old toddler I am glad it is not common anymore for children that age to wander around "with their friends". I take him to the grocery store, I am with him. He can not be left alone. Such a small child. Props for children's social services to be alert commonly as we are living in 2020's for those unfortunate (kids from alcoholic/drug addict homes)

@chriswarburtonbrown1566 6 ай бұрын

I worked in Scotswood in the 90s and knew several people who played with Mary when children. However this documentary is the first time I've heard the full story. Both chilling and tragic.

@barneyronnie 6 ай бұрын

Glad that you thrived ...😊!

@shelliewerner5624 7 ай бұрын

Well told...a better telling and more complete than ive read or seen before...God rest the souls of those 2 boys...and ifeel true sorrow for their families...

@user-ot7fc8jo8x 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for giving the last word to Martin’s mother. It perplexes us in all the ways you outlined and yet (as you also pointed out) “we” feel the need to apportion blame to the evil perpetrator as do I.

@OneHundredPercent-100 7 ай бұрын

Be prepared to have fear, anxiety and wonder fill u. A better storyteller, there is none. 👍🏼

@karenroot450 7 ай бұрын

Great storytelling again! I’m glad to have found this channel. I actually thought Mary was going to commit more crimes while she was locked up. She should not have profited in anyway from the book. Thanks for sharing!

@Flamsterette 7 ай бұрын

*ANY WAY

@AntelJM 6 ай бұрын

The families of the victims shouldn’t be given money 60 years on. The parents are not alive and giving money to the younger family members would just be an undeserved windfall, not compensation for the loss of a relative they never knew.

@karenroot450 6 ай бұрын

@@AntelJM you are correct I was upset hearing this and forgot the time frame. Sorry about that

@bekt8344 6 ай бұрын

Ive heard the Mary Bell story a couple of times and read about her, but you've been the only one to cover her upbringing, so thanku Sir. And you most certainly tell it the best 👌 👍

@Flamsterette 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the upload, Paul. I've heard of Mary Bell before, of course, and am looking forward to this video.

@AmberGraves80 6 ай бұрын

That bir from the boy's mother has got to be one of the most painful and honest things I have ever heard.

@Xshleyy 6 ай бұрын

You remind me so very much of my Papa and you love true crime to boot! Your channel brings me so much joy and comfort! Thank you for all you do; you never fail to make me smile and informed! ❤

@beckygleason2002 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for being such a great story teller with compassion!!!

@Charlotte66666 7 ай бұрын

Very chilling story, thanks Paul 😊

@marlodt12 7 ай бұрын

Well done as always Paul!

@kristywilson3509 6 ай бұрын

Well done, as always. I've watched many other KZfaq true crime channels which covered Mary Bell in the past. I must say you certainly found information & details that I haven't heard before. Well presented, as usual and the 30 minute length contributed to the thoroughness. Thank you!

@Sylvael2002 2 ай бұрын

I'm very impressed that you could offer up some details which I haven't heard before on any other documentary or video! Well done, well put together and terribly sad, intriguing and thought provoking.

@Pheonix384 7 ай бұрын

I missed you saying well i never❤

@Dreamphile 6 ай бұрын

I listen to you for hours. Dude thanks you make my day so calm.

@myeramimclerie7869 7 ай бұрын

Sounds like Mary did have quite a few mental disorders. I wonder which of them are genetic, given her mother is also not neurotypical, and which are made by her environment. I feel very sorry for the victims and I'm glad to hear that she didn't commit any further crimes and apparently got her life together.

@bobbisparks53 7 ай бұрын

She went on to living a "normal" life and has a daughter herself now so maybe she is a prime example of the "nature over nurture" argument so many psychological professionals go back and forth on... quite possibly if her mom wasn't such a shit show dumpster fire of a parent who exposed her to such awful stuff at such a young age, she would have probably never done what she did to begin with....the entire thing was just sad all the way around the board.

@Nebol 6 ай бұрын

It could very well be entirely created by her environment. Even psychopathy. Being hated and abused during childhood can cure you from empathy.

@myeramimclerie7869 6 ай бұрын

@@Nebol might be. Same goes for the mother I think, she lived through war after all...

@jamiemohan2049 6 ай бұрын

Just because she hasn't killed since doesn't mean she isn't still a sociopath. Most sociopaths don't kill anyways. She could be a horrible person to people in her life for all we know. Or she has completely changed.

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

@@jamiemohan2049great point!! Very true. Most sociopaths are not killers at all.

@AY-lt5oc 6 ай бұрын

Great storytelling as always. Thank you!

@DJJ81 6 ай бұрын

Oh yeah, Elizabeth is upset about the shame Mary brought to the family huh? Seems legit. Don’t look at your own behavior and accept any responsibility for what you did to that child.

@duckygibson2075 7 ай бұрын

You are a wonderful human being and I always enjoy your videos. Thank you very much

@maryknight4823 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for this vlog, your research, and narration , l always enjoy watching...........

@anniej1834 6 ай бұрын

Thanks 4 another brilliant video 📸 Paul i always look forward 2 your videos have a great weekend 🎉

@patricklee6066 6 ай бұрын

Paul,I love watching your programmes,you're truly a pleasure to watch and listen to,even on the darkest subjects.Any chance you might do a programme on the story of the Bannister Doll,the tragic and infamous ghost of Preston?No one would do it better.

@possumaintdead 6 ай бұрын

Your story telling abilities are awesome! Thank you.

@OnceUponaCrimes 7 ай бұрын

A truly amazing video, I love how it end with what the victims mother. Her word are really powerful.

@rodeastell3615 6 ай бұрын

A tragic story with many layers.

@laraoneal7284 6 ай бұрын

I love the ambiance of your channel in the background. It is charming and relaxing.

@Boadicea17 6 ай бұрын

I knew of this evil girl when I was growing up, I was 6 when she did the murders...my mum told me about her when I was 10. But decades later listening to you telling the full story, the horrific details etc, I was in tears and appalled at how vile Mary really was 😢 absolutely horrific! Obviously she was evil to the core, as it seems her brothers and sisters were brought up in the same awful unloving household with a rotten mother but they never went on to murder.

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

This is exactly what I just thought of. What is her excuse when her siblings didn't all become murderers? This girl was horrifically abused and traumatized, parents from hell, no doubt, I have heart for Mary there. There was no way she was gonna grow up well-adjusted. But her having siblings who didn't murder, is a great example. Her mother belonged in prison forever, too

@davedear929 4 ай бұрын

I remember this story very well it was so tragic all round. It shocked the nation to the core. Would it happen today.... quite possibly. Well researched and presented thanks.

@joannayeo9545 5 ай бұрын

I’ve just subbed. Thank you for the upload. Happy New Year everyone xx

@lisaborsella5412 6 ай бұрын

Wow. I have heard of this case before quite a few times, but ..”Well I Never” heard the information which is provided here.Thank you for- (yet again ) all the facts. Amazing work.

@jpendowski7503 6 ай бұрын

A fine narration of this tragic life. Your calm and even demeanor make the story come to life and ending with Martin’s mother a fitting ending. No one can know the true extent of that little girl’s childhood, with more loving family she may have been just fine. Still no comfort for the other mothers.

@josephcarney1905 6 ай бұрын

It's kinda taken me a long time to start listening to this channel. At the beginning I thought, no i can't listen to this guy , however I now am an avid listener . His speech is clear , his topics are interesting and I've not heard these stories before. I cannot listen to any American channels as they take over an hour to get to the point...which could be told within 30 mins, except repeat the same thing over and over.. so thumbs up to your channel . Well made . Thank you 🙏😊

@shelbybronoske702 6 ай бұрын

So sad, all the way around May those 2 boys Rest in Peace😢

@sophiegeorge2816 6 ай бұрын

They shouldn’t have given her or Robert Thompson and John venables new identities Parents should have the right to know who is living near them

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

Exactly!!! How do they arrange all this? I'm a Yank, this is hard to understand. I have looked into all those cases. What if Mary etc moved near the victims?? Do they arrange to make sure that doesn't happen?? I guess they must. I hope they always get fount out, who they really are. May it follow them. This is murder and vile, disturbing murder were talking here. I definitely believe in rehabilitation and 2nd chances but the UK goes alarmingly far. I've come across many Britons who don't agree with the justice system in their country.

@editaedita473 6 ай бұрын

How the parents not watched their children and let them run around as a 3 year old, that's neglect.

@alikamal3464 Ай бұрын

These were different days. Parents didnt have ipads to manipulate the kids and houses were a lot more cramped. I remember me and my brother being made to go out and play after dinner and told to come home when its getting dark.

@editaedita473 Ай бұрын

@@alikamal3464 neither did my parents. I'm sorry about your experience.

@gillgetter3004 7 ай бұрын

She’s one year older than me, I remember a little about this story then even as a child in Detroit Michigan having family in England

@marybrown7193 6 ай бұрын

Thank you this info is a life saver, or at least a sanity saver 😊

@mynameisworld 6 ай бұрын

Nice video. I almost didn't click on this one because Mary Bell's story has been so overdone already. But I had a feeling that this channel would do it differently. I'm glad I clicked it, because this video has a different approach to the story and different information about it.

@metalwellington 6 ай бұрын

that was a dark story. wow

@mimsydreams 6 ай бұрын

How in the world was her mom allowed to keep her and the other siblings, when they were constantly going to hospital for over-dosing on medications? Attempted drowning? Did CPS not exist in 1960's England yet? Also horrified how children as young as 3 could just freely go play in derelict houses as if going to play on a jungle gym and no one is alarmed if they don't come back home on time for supper 😬

@OneTrueScotsman 6 ай бұрын

They lived in a very deprived region. Basically the US version of the slums.

@aoifehynes470 7 ай бұрын

I'm counting this video as a birthday present 🎁

@EllieGrant1 7 ай бұрын

Happy birthday 🥳

@aoifehynes470 7 ай бұрын

@@EllieGrant1❤

@TheCandiceWang 6 ай бұрын

I've watched her story before. Still can't believe she got so little time. I was incensed that she got to have children and grandchildren when her victim did not - victim's parents said that and it's not something u can get past. The UK's punishment is far too lenient. I know given her background, there was no hope for her to turn out well-adjusted. But I still can't get past that she gets to live a normal life now.

@janmeyer3129 6 ай бұрын

What would be better if she was still in jail? The UK prison system is ostensibly about public safety and rehabilitation - not punishment. ‘Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord”