Cries Unheard : The Story of Mary Bell | Gita Sereny

It's horrible to realise how dreadfully children who kill are treated. This may anger you: they killed, but they are children. At the time of the Bulger trial, I read about a case in Norway, where a young child had killed another. The child in question wasn't tried in court as an adult. A few months after, though still raw, devastated, the family of the dead child were not angry with the child responsible for the death. They didn't seek to have her branded an animal who must be locked up for life. All they sought was that she be treated, so this could never happen again.

That could never happen here: we are too biblical. It's a horrible subject: one I am too ill equiped (I have no children) to understand - I cannot say I would feel this way if I were to know what it is like to not know where your child has gone.

The 'Cries Unheard' refers to the horrendous pattern of behaviour Mary Bell had established prior to the two murders (which were committed several months apart). Her mother, who was perpetually 'away on business' (she was a prostitute who worked in Glasgow) had tried to kill her as a child: henceforth, it was made very clear to the highly intelligent little girl that she was not wanted. It is suspected she was made to witness appalling sexual acts - whether she was made to participate is, I think, still buried in the adult Mary's subconcious. Her behaviour, so obvious to us now as that of a desperate child craving help, was ignored by everyone in a position to help.

After the first murder had been committed, she and her co-killer had broken in to the local community centre - they left a number of notes, including this one. Nothing was done, no-one tried to discover who had written the notes. It was 'put down' to being the work of little kids: of course, it was - but that these two girls were seriously disturbed just wasn't ever noticed.